Civil servants on strike

THOUSANDS of civil servants across Spain have gone on strike today to vent their anger at PM Jose Luis Zapatero’s austerity cuts.

They are protesting against a five per cent cut in pay that will be imposed later this month.

The trade unions hope that hospital, school, fire brigade and local government workers will support the action.

Spain’s budget deficit currently stands at 11 per cent of GDP and the measures are designed to reduce this debt.

But the trade unions claim that public sector workers are being unfairly penalised by the 15bn-euro austerity package.