March 29th: Spain´s National Strike against labor reform

Today, Mariano Rajoy, the new Spanish president since past November, faces his first general strike on March 29th, 2012. The economic measures proposed by his government for 2012 have provoked an upsurge among the Spanish population. The unfavorable economic situation which Spain is undergoing is spearheaded by consumption and monetary behaves. These factors are leading the population to the greatest mobilization in social arenas that has been seen in years.

Spain’s government has seen a change in its political ideology from left to right-wing in the previous elections. The political agenda of the new government is aimed to protect entrepreneurs and bankers, leaving aside the biggest losers of the financial crisis, the workers.

"Unite and fight for our future. 29M general strike"

The purpose of the strike is to make the new government rectify its agenda and not to apply their new labor reform that will harm workers’ rights. Unions and workers will rally in a full day general strike to protect labor sector through actions where members of the population will participate in a consumer strike by not buying or hiring any service, not driving or refueling automobiles, not using the public transportation or other services that are not emergencies and minimizing the use of telephone, water, gas and electricity for a day.

Will the general strike get the attention of the new government?

Many videos and comments are circulating through social networks supporting the demonstration by defending social rights. There are blogs that encourage people to support the strike by explaining why it is necessary to attend the movement. There is even a website, where it is possible to make companies public that will not allow its workers to go to the strike.

Strike or not? – Pros and Cons

The Arturo Soria IES assembly gives arguments for the people who do not want to go on strike, such as: “The strike is not a solution”. However, a counter-argument can say: “The strike is not a solution, is the most powerful instrument of pressure that workers currently have at our disposal to enforce our rights in a totally unjustified aggression”. For those who think like: “The strike will be for naught”, the answer could be: “Historically, all improvements of workers have been won through struggles. This strike is only the beginning, but it is a very important step”. And finally, others could say: “Spain can not stand a strike”. However, “what the country can not stand is a labor reform that will not solve the unemployment problem and cause more layoffs and instability in the new contracts. The country can not support tax increases, pay visits of the Pope, F1 circuits, airports without planes, patterns of corruption and privileges of the royal family – and the general strike is the only way to say, enough”.

"On thursday 29th, this establishment will be closed"

According to the Bank of Spain, the Iberian Peninsula continues in economic recession in the first quarter of the year, reaching one of the highest unemployment rates in the Europe with almost five million people out of work in February 2012. This has provoked fed up citizens to go on a general consumption and work strike. The main purpose is to demonstrate against the new labor reforms where measures are aimed to make dismissal cheaper for employers and reduce compensation for unfair dismissal. Also, these measures will incorporate new hiring conditions that will make employment situation more precarious for workers by removing the redundancy payment given to employees when they are layed off. Finally, this new labor reform will allow working conditions to worsen therefore warranting employers to not partake in the collective agreement.

This Royal Decree of labor reform has been ratified in the House of Representatives supported by the representatives of the PP, CiU, UPN and FAC and without the approval of the PSOE, Plural Left, PNV, and UPyD and the rest of the “Mix Group”. A total of 197 deputies against 142 members, respectively.

At the moment, Rajoy and his People’s Party (PP) have lost some support in the past Sunday’s regional elections in the provinces of Andalusia and Asturias. This could mean a negative response to the most recent enacted economic and social cuts. The Spanish population’s response will be observed by the world this coming Thursday, March 29^th to see whether the government will do an about-face on their social and economic reforms or if they will continue their path even though they are facing great resistance from the Spanish population.