Spain’s Public Sector Workers Launch Strike, Protest Pay Cuts Tied to Austerity Package

Spain’s public sector workers have launched a strike, fighting the government’s planned pay cuts introduced in an austerity package that is set to begin later this month.

As part of that package the government announced an average 5% cut to public sector workers pay, a move that angered unions and has led to Tuesday’s strike and current protests. Those protests have centered on the finance ministry in Madrid where thousands of angry workers have assembled, chanting slogans and blowing horns.

While Spanish unions have said as many as 80% of the public sector workers are taking part in the strike the labor ministry has said the figure is significantly lower, putting the number around 16%.

Whatever the figure the anger is still present as the workers have argued that they should not be the ones suffering the cuts when it was the government’s overspending that left the Spanish economy in near ruins.

A wide-scale strike could cause further problems for an economy that is already dealing with the highest unemployment rate in the European Union and a budget deficit that has surpassed 11%.

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