Judgment concerning Spain
In the case of Central Unitaria de Traballadores/as v. Spain the Court held that there had been no violation of the freedom of assembly and association.
The case concerned a refusal by the local authorities in Galicia to allow a trade union to organise a convoy-demonstration in Vigo for May Day owing to the Covid restrictions in force at that time.
The Court noted the difficult circumstances in which the Spanish authorities had had to make their decisions – early in a pandemic, without full knowledge of the origin and incidence of the disease, and with grave pressure on the healthcare system. It found that the Spanish authorities had balanced the need to protect public health with the rights of the trade union, and that the ban had been justified in that light.