CULTURE SPAIN – GENERAL STRIKE IN SPAIN 29TH SEPTEMBER 2010

GENERAL STRIKE IN SPAIN

It would seem that I am not the only person perplexed by why a general strike in Spain has been called for Wednesday the 29^th September.  A recent poll in El Pais (one of Spain’s national newspapers) reckons that only 9% of Spaniards support the strike.  This dismal figure, if correct on the day, indicates the curious nature of the proposed general strike.

Certainly, I have been struggling for months to see what the general strike in Spain could possibly achieve.  It has been called by the Spanish trade union confederation and is a protest at the Spanish government’s austerity measures and changes to the labour employment laws in Spain.

The economic crisis in Spain has meant that the country (like just about everywhere else in Europe) has had to restrict its spending.  One of the most unpopular measures (for civil servants) was the imposition, earlier in the year, of a 5% cut in their pay.  Other austerity measures in Spain have included the suspension of automatic inflation adjustments for pensions and the scrapping of a payout for the parents of new babies.  There have also been significant funding reductions for the various autonomous regions of Spain.

However, what has really annoyed the unions are changes to employment rights.  Spain has had a very generous system of compensation for employees if they are sacked.  In the past, some employees could expect compensation of up to 45 days pay per year worked.  As you can imagine, this has made firing workers extremely expensive for an employer.  This is now going to be significantly reduced, together with the time in which people out of work can refuse to enter re-training courses.

The Spanish unions are ‘up in arms’ about what they see as attacks upon employment protection and any restrictions on government spending.  Somewhat traditionally, they see economic stimulus through government spending as the only way out of the Spain’s economic problems.

The question, at the moment, is whether or not the general strike in Spain will freeze the country (albeit for only a day)?

My instinct is that the general strike in Spain will be a ‘damp squib’.  Not least, because there is a fair proportion of the country (over 20%) already unemployed.  I do not think they will be supporting any strike and most of my (employed) Spanish friends seem to think the whole matter is rather pointless.

Indeed, calling (or supporting) a general strike in Spain does sound to me a somewhat petulant action.  The austerity measures in Spain are clearly necessary and few people with their heads in the real world of business could argue for the continued level of employment protection in Spain that has lasted so long.  Like it or not, business efficiency has to be encouraged and a core part of this (sadly) is the relatively cheap and reasonably risk free hiring and firing of employees.

Interestingly, earlier this year the civil servants in Spain went on strike for a day.  The strike had no impact, virtually no support from the Spanish population and it achieved absolutely nothing.

We shall see what happens when the general strike in Spain occurs on the 29^th September – but I would not dramatically change your plans or stockpile food,  forseeing the country coming to a shuddering halt!

RELATED POSTS:

Update on general strike and Realities of work in Spain and will grandparents go on strike?