Thousands protest Spain's new labor reforms

[Judi Lynn]

February 19, 2012 10:40 AM
Thousands protest Spain's new labor reforms

(AP) MADRID — Hundreds of thousands of protesters were marching throughout Spain on Sunday in the first large-scale show of anger over new labor reforms that make it easier for companies to fire workers and pull out of collective bargaining agreements.

The country's main trade unions organized marches in 57 cities, beginning midmorning in Cordoba in the south and expected to end with evening marches in Toledo and Valencia, with a very large demonstration planned in Madrid from midday.

Union organizers said around a million people had marched by mid-afternoon, but official figures were not released.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's government passed the package of reforms nine days ago in an effort to shake up a labor market seen as one of Europe most rigid and to encourage hiring in a country battling the highest unemployment rate in the eurozone, at nearly 23 percent. Rajoy was overheard saying that the reform will "cost me a general strike."

More:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505245_162-57381020/thousands-protest-spains-new-labor-reforms/

[tabasco]

1. Somebody mention Spain?

[font size=18]
Heeeeere's Macarena!![/font]

[tech_smythe]

2. I've been in spain for a period of time...

and to be brutally honest they could use a kick in their ass!
however, that said, a great deal of problems are top down, not bottom up.
it took 4 Y E A R S to get my (ex) father-in-law's house built because the contractor kept running out of money.

my FiL paid in full, but the contractor seemed to piss it away on other contracts that he hadn't bothered to properly back financially either. that's the practice in Spain. they don't ever put the money into the contract they're paid for. it's like a strange kind of pyramid scheme. the end result is it takes years to build a house or a complex.... my house complex... 14 houses + a 11-room living building, took SIX MONTHS!

Ask any European their opinion of the Spanish... it's not pretty and they can generally back it up with facts and /or personal experience.

I'm not in favor of fucking with worker's rights, but the Spanish ...

dislike them as I do... I believe the problem IS at the top, NOT at the bottom, which are the only people who will be affected, which will take an already crap economy (despite being a major bread basket for Europe, it's a slow economy) and break it completely!

[NOI4I]

3. Rajoy

Is still better...

[DallasNE]

4. It's All About Breaking Unions

Throughout Europe and America. And for what purpose? Since the very wealthy are not being asked to sacrifice I think we can all figure that out. It looks as Spain just killed collective barginning since companies can now just walk away from collective barginning agreements. Spain voted this new government into office so they have nobody to blame but themself -- kind of like the people of Wisconsin. People need to understand that elections have consequences so they need to pay attention and make informed decisions. That is not happening much any more and absolutely must change. No mention, once again, of the very wealthy having to pitch in and do their fair share. Europe is saddled with some pretty rotten leaders right now so the outlook is looking quite gloomy for the foreseeable future and it is so unnecessary. The European Central Bank is also dragging its feet so there is plenty of blame to go around. A balanced approach would be far less painful and include higher taxes for the very rich, quantative easing by the Central Bank and some give backs by labor. Sadly, 2/3rd's of this package is missing.