Madrid, Spain (TOE) - Spanish trade unions are holding a general strike a day before the Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announces new austerity budget to meet strict guidelines set by Eurozone leaders.
The country's two biggest unions called the strike to demonstrate against new legislation which makes it easier and cheaper for companies to fire employees.
The two main unions, UGT and CCOO, say the government has gone too far in a controversial labour law reform.
Strikers are using whistle-blowing pickets and have blocked trucks from delivering products at the main wholesale markets in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante and Málaga.
Around 100 protesters gathered in front of Fuencarral's bus depot and some of them blocked the road as the first bus departed form the depot.
Tensions rose as riot police wrestled some protesters to the ground. The interior ministry said a total of 58 people were detained and nine were injured.
Road, rail and air transport are all due to be affected, with domestic and European flights cut to a fraction of their usual volume.
Airlines Iberia, Air Nostrum and Vueling have cancelled about 200 flights each from Spanish airports.
A minimum service is also planned in hospitals while schools and nurseries are due to open.
Thousands of demonstrators rallied Wednesday in Madrid ahead of the strike.
Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has already faced two strikes and scores of demonstrations involving tens of thousands of people since taking office, and has shown no sign of being willing to buckle under pressure.
However it is the first general strike for the Popular Party to deal with since it regained power.
The new legislation, approved in February, also reduces maximum severance pay to 33 days' salary for each year worked, compared with the current 45 days.
The government insists the reforms will create a more flexible system for businesses and workers, in a country with a stagnant economy that needs to start creating jobs.
Rajoy has so far this year confirmed $11.85bn worth of spending cuts and $8.39bn in tax rises, but economists say total cuts worth more than $66.6bn are needed.
Spain has the highest unemployment rate in the European Union at 23 percent and the government predicts this will hit a record high of 24.3 percent this year. Spain accounts for nearly a third of all the jobless in the euro zone.
timesofearth.com
The country's two biggest unions called the strike to demonstrate against new legislation which makes it easier and cheaper for companies to fire employees.
The two main unions, UGT and CCOO, say the government has gone too far in a controversial labour law reform.
Strikers are using whistle-blowing pickets and have blocked trucks from delivering products at the main wholesale markets in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante and Málaga.
Around 100 protesters gathered in front of Fuencarral's bus depot and some of them blocked the road as the first bus departed form the depot.
Tensions rose as riot police wrestled some protesters to the ground. The interior ministry said a total of 58 people were detained and nine were injured.
Road, rail and air transport are all due to be affected, with domestic and European flights cut to a fraction of their usual volume.
Airlines Iberia, Air Nostrum and Vueling have cancelled about 200 flights each from Spanish airports.
A minimum service is also planned in hospitals while schools and nurseries are due to open.
Thousands of demonstrators rallied Wednesday in Madrid ahead of the strike.
Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has already faced two strikes and scores of demonstrations involving tens of thousands of people since taking office, and has shown no sign of being willing to buckle under pressure.
However it is the first general strike for the Popular Party to deal with since it regained power.
The new legislation, approved in February, also reduces maximum severance pay to 33 days' salary for each year worked, compared with the current 45 days.
The government insists the reforms will create a more flexible system for businesses and workers, in a country with a stagnant economy that needs to start creating jobs.
Rajoy has so far this year confirmed $11.85bn worth of spending cuts and $8.39bn in tax rises, but economists say total cuts worth more than $66.6bn are needed.
Spain has the highest unemployment rate in the European Union at 23 percent and the government predicts this will hit a record high of 24.3 percent this year. Spain accounts for nearly a third of all the jobless in the euro zone.
timesofearth.com
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