Spain braces for general strike

Two of Spain’s biggest unions — the Socialist-leaning General Workers Union (UGT) and the Communist-leaning Workers Commissions (CCOO) – have called for the strike on Thursday, a day before Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is to announce a new round of deep budget cuts.

The strike is expected to disrupt public transportation and major industry in the country and is the first major protest against Rajoy’s government, which was elected in November and took office in December.

The Spanish government announced 15 billion euros in cuts in December, but on Friday, Prime Minister Rajoy warned that the country is facing a “very, very austere budget” in which billions more is expected to be cut.

Spain’s unemployment level is at around 23 percent, while the Bank of Spain recently reported that the country had slipped back into recession.

Battered by the global financial downturn, the Spanish economy collapsed into recession in the second half of 2008, taking down millions of jobs with it. Analysts say Spain’s economy is expected to enter into a new recession in the first two quarters of 2012.

MN/MA

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