Spanish railway workers go on strike

The employees of Spain’s National Train Company staged a three-hour strike on Friday, saying the railway service is under-staffed and that authorities have failed to comply with an agreement to hire more people.

“Railway companies are being badly managed. It’s taking funds away from where they should be – that is from the consumer and those who travel. This station, for example, doesn’t have the funds it should have and we want it to hire more workers,” said Juan Carlos Cabello of the Comisiones Obrers Union.

The workers accuse the national railway company, RENFE, of failing to comply with a staffing agreement reached with unions last year.

During the strike, railway stations throughout the city have had transportation problems including trains being delayed and commuters stranded for long periods of time.

Nearly a million people normally use Madrid’s short-distance railway system each day.

Workers plan to hold more strikes in the future, every Friday and Sunday, until their demands are met.

Spain has been witnessing a wave of protests against cuts, high unemployment, and corruption.

Battered by the global financial downturn, the Spanish economy has collapsed into recession since the second half of 2008, destroying millions of jobs.

Many Spaniards blame the government for their hardships, stressing that authorities have failed to properly address the country’s economic situation.

GMA/JR

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