Friday, April 6, 2012

Spanish General Strike Takes Aim at Austerity

Protesters from Spain's M15 movement march for
economic policy change.
Photo Credit: Peter Scholz / Shutterstock.com
Hundreds of thousands of Spaniards came out in a show of force last Thursday to protest reforms that are expected to make it easier for employers to fire workers.
April 2, 2012

Last Thursday, people across Spain made a show of force in a general strike, at a scale ranging from the government estimate of 800,000 to the 4 million claimed by the unions. It was timed to challenge new reforms that are expected to make it easier for employers to fire workers, dealing a blow to organized labor.
The 15M movement, which began with occupations in the central squares of cities around the country last year, played an important role in the strike’s success. Despite ongoing conflicts between the largest unions and 15M, several weeks ago the movement’s key organizations — including neighborhood assemblies, Democracia Real YaYo No Pago and the Platform of People Affected by the Mortgage (PAH) — announced their support for the general strike and started working to make it a success.   READ MORE

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