Spanish Public Sector On Strike Against Austerity Plan
Posted By thestatedtruth.com on June 8, 2010
        Tuesday, 8 June 2010
Spanish public sector workers are holding a strike in protest against an average 5% cut in pay that comes into effect this month. The cuts are part of a government austerity package aimed at reducing the country’s budget deficit, swollen by almost two years of recession. Hundreds of protesters gathered in front of Madrid’s finance ministry blowing horns and chanting slogans. Spanish unions said 75-80% of public sector workers had joined the strike. The labour ministry, however, put the figure at 16%. “This government is totally inept,†said protester Alfredo Barrero Sanchez. He accused the government of ignoring the crisis until it was too late. “In the end, look what has happened to this country,†he told Associated Press news agency. Spain has suffered one of the toughest recessions in the EU, and has its highest unemployment rate. It recently had its credit rating downgraded, amid fears it could follow Greece into a debt crisis.
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