Huelga "Strike"

One of the main problems facing Spain at the moment is that of the economy. With unemployement on the rise, it surely makes sense that wages are being cut in an attempt to save jobs, however those on the receiving end are clearly not happy!

The huelgas started principally with that of the air traffic controllers choosing to strike on the weekend of august 22nd, significant primarily because of its timing during peak tourist season, but also because of the fact that it is taking place in conjunction with the repeated weekend strikes of the nationwide bus company, Auto-res, or Avanzabus as it is otherwise known.

But why? A need for paycuts as well as a loss of hours has meant that many are unhappy with airlines companies, but fail to see that this measure is necessary in order to encourage economic recovery. In fact an overwhelming majority of 98% of the union for air traffic controllers backed this strike which represents 95% of Spain's controllers. It is the personal scale that this issue is viewed on for many, as it was revealed that paycuts of up to 40% have been suggested.

What happens now? Well the irish air company Ryanair have asked the spanish governement to arrange the drafting in of military controllers to replace the striking air controllers, especially following the unofficial strike in Barcelona last month, fearing a loss of many thousands of pounds during the busy tourist season as up to two million passengers could be affected. Watch this space for news, but the current plans are for a three day strike starting on August 22nd.

The bus strikes follow a similar trend, however on a more frequent basis. On the plus side, not all companies are affected, and trains can easily be taken in their place.