Spain’s civil servants strike against government cuts

Public sector workers in Spain are striking against an average five per cent cut in pay that will come into effect this month. The spending cuts are intended to reduce public deficit to the eurozone limit of three per cent of GDP by 2013.  

Photo: Reuters

The  austerity measures imposed by the government come amid  worries that the country will need an international rescue package like the one provided to Greece earlier this year.

The strikes were called by Spain’s biggest trade unions after the government unveiled its plan to shave a further 15 billion euros off public spending on top of the 50-billion-euro package of spending cuts proposed in January.

Despite opposition from the unions Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has said he will push ahead with with the austerity measures: “There will be no change, nor any swerving from the adopted path. We will respond to the circumstances and govern responsibly."