Óscar Martín, general secretary of the UGT-Andalusia, was honoured on 16 October 2026 in Seville with the Premio Por un Poder Andaluz of the Fundación Alejandro Rojas-Marcos . At the ceremony at UGT-Andalusia headquarters, the president of the Junta de Andalucía, Juanma Morenopraised the trade unionist’s work to foster understanding and social dialogue. In his speech, Moreno said, in essence, that people can be Andalusian whatever their views, and highlighted Martín’s role as a reliable interlocutor.
The Fundación Alejandro Rojas-Marcos presents the award to people who, in the foundation’s view, contribute to social cohesion in Andalusia. Martín’s award recognises his work on workers’ rights and his participation in social-partner dialogue in the region. The event was attended by representatives of UGT as well as representatives of the CCOO and the Confederación de Empresarios de Andalucía .
Martín has led UGT-Andalusia since last year and has emphasised a cooperative approach to collective bargaining and social policy. Recent talks between trade unions, employers and the regional government have focused mainly on wages, job quality and implementing measures to tackle insecure work in highly seasonal sectors. The foundation says the award recognises a willingness to find common ground between different groups in society.
Moreno used his appearance to present social dialogue as a cornerstone of Andalusian politics. No specific political commitments were announced. However, the presence of leading figures from trade unions and employers underlines the recent intensification of talks on business and labour-market issues in Seville and other provinces.
The Premio Por un Poder Andaluz has been awarded for several years. With this year’s decision, the Fundación Alejandro Rojas-Marcos is signalling support for cooperation across institutional and ideological divides. Only limited details of the jury’s composition and decision-making process were available on the evening of the ceremony; the foundation points to the panel’s professional independence. Statements by the Junta de Andalucía and trade unions, along with media reports, consistently indicate that the award recognises Martín’s contribution to stable labour relations in Andalusia.
The ceremony in Seville was attended by a broad audience from politics, business and civil society. Those involved made no firm statements about the immediate effects on upcoming negotiations. What is clear is that the award once again puts the importance of robust channels of dialogue between government, businesses and workers in the spotlight.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).