General Strike called in Spain for March 29 to protest new austerity measures

New measures passed last month by the Spanish government will make it less costly to fire workers, and make it easier for them to be let go. Salaries levels can be lowered unilaterally plus there are other benefits to business at the expense of labour.

Ignacio Toxo of the Workers Commission claimed the reforms were weighted towards business the expense of works. He said the changes bring Spain closer to labor condtions under the former dictator General Franco. In this case though the dictator is finance capital. Toxo said:"It is the most regressive reform in the history of democracy in Spain,"

Spanish banks have agreed to provide $46.35 billion U.S. that will be used to pay off suppliers owed large amounts by municipal and regional governments. The banks also agreed that the would go easy on Spaniards who struggled to pay mortgages.

As in the U.S. Spain has suffered many foreclosures. From 2008 to 20011 at total of 350,000 families have had homes foreclosed and been evicted. This year seems no better. For much more see this article.

Union rallies are to start this Sunday during the midday. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy had apparently told his EU colleagues the new measures would provoke a general strike. He was correct! Spain has a terrible unemployment rate at 23 per cent. Rajoy admits the rate could go over 24 per cent this year. Unions point out that since earlier labor reforms more than a million more workers have lost their jobs