Tens of thousands of public sector workers have taken to the streets in protest at tax rises and spending cuts in Spain.

Firefighters, nurses and teachers were among those demonstrating against the government’s €65 billion austerity package, which is set to include a cut in civil service wages.

The rally in Madrid, organised by trade unions, saw crowds chanting anti-government slogans, blowing whistles and waving banners that read ‘Enough!’.

“We cannot and will not accept more cuts,” said Angel Arriero, a 39-year-old information engineer at a government ministry, who was joined on the march by his wife and young daughter.

“It’s all too much for me to handle,” he added, holding a sign that read ‘No mas!’.

A 52-year-old doctor from Valencia, who gave his name as Jorge added that his salary had shrunk by around 30% as a result of the austerity measures.

“There is no area of my work which has not been been affected by the cuts,” he said.

“It’s a drastic reduction in the quality of service for patients, it’s terrible.”

But the government insists the cuts are necessary if Spain is to make a full recovery from  the financial crisis.

“These sacrifices are absolutely unavoidable if we are to correct the difficult economic climate we are experiencing,” Economy Minister Luis de Guindos said.

“We are laying the foundations for a recovery.”

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11 COMMENTS

  1. Thing is, the demonstrators and Unions don’t have any idea how to solve the financial problem either. Spain is quick to blame the global problems, e.g. the sub-prime fiasco in the USA, but stays quiet about other causes more closer to home e.g. massive endemic corruption, ridiculous employment laws that give jobs for life, property over-building and associated greed of developers/planners/government, the list goes on.

  2. Aquí viene Freddy a criticar a España como si su país no tuviera corrupción, como si Inglaterra no corre con ningún riesgo, la última vez que estuve en Manchester el trabajo tampoco iva de maravilla y me refiero a los buenos trabajos,de la vivienda en Londres prefiero ni entrar.Freddy pasas mucho tiempo criticándonos y demasiado poco mirando tus islas no vaya a ser que te las encuentres un día cambiadas y se te vya a venir el mundo encima.

  3. Should we all post in English on Spanish language forums – they would be deleted immediately.

    Brujino wants us all to go home – oh yes he’s going to pay back with interest all the money he’s sponged off us as well – and pigs can be seen flying all over Spain.

  4. Brujo/Bruji/Brujiño/Brujita etc, it’s not just me criticising Spain. Have you not heard of the 15-M protests in Spain? You don’t know much about your own country lol. And yes, there is corruption in the UK, and elsewhere, but this is a website about Spain.

    On a lighter note, have you moved out of your parents house and got a job yet?

  5. @ Brujino

    Maybe if the near 30,000 plus (and counting) spaniards had not moved to UK to look for the job they cannot find in their own country,(not like the thousands of Brits who retired and spent and continue to spend their well earned pensions in Spain after working in UK ) the Brits would find 30,000 odd jobs to choose from when and if they return to theirs.

  6. People like Fred eh? What, people who work hard, pay taxes, invest in Spain, support the local economy, speak (and learn) Spanish, and generally do everything by the book? Those sort of people, Dave?

    Btw, Bruji’s comments are generally not understandable in any language. Say hello to Bruji for me, when you see him Dave. lol.

  7. Just read that 158,000 southern Europeans moved to Germany last year.

    In the good times for southern Europe would 158,000 Germans/Dutch/Brits/French have got jobs or Social Security – look there goes another bunch of porcines – flying a bit low were’nt they!

  8. I am from vancouver,canada and i wanted to say that the workers in Spain have their backs to the wall.The enemy is the gov.It is time for the working class to take political power in Spain.They have nothing to lose,the people of Spain don’t need another Franco.
    In Cuba the people there got rid of the same problem in 1959.The people in Spain will need to do the same.

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