Today’s motto will be 29-M Huelga General.

A nationwide General Strike is scheduled for Spain for today, March 29th. Beware. 445 flights have been cancelled so far, between Iberia and Air Europe alone. Trains, buses, taxis, underground and ferry services will also be affected, as well as petrol stations, postal services, hospitals, TV and radio stations, court rooms, street cleaning services, public libraries, and many other facilities, including schools and universities.

Some minimum services will be maintained, it is said but, who really knows? The country may suffer a virtual standstill.

The strike was called by Spain’s largest unions in protest to the government’s recent change of legislation of workers’ rights and a cutback in compensation in the case of the termination of an employment contract. By 07h00 this morning, there had been 39 arrests all over Spain, in the main of pickets.

A demonstration will be held today at 18h30 in Palma’s Plaça d’Espanya, the Avingudes, Passeig de Mallorca, Passeig del Borne and Plaça Major.

Many observers in Spain predict a rather low outcome of strike participation. Spain is not – yet – Greece. It is argued that the majority of employed people, although in favour of the protest action, are fearful of putting their current employment situation at risk. Other workers or employees worry about a likely loss of income should they not turn up for work today. Money is tight in Spain.

The photo was borrowed from the Internet, courtesy of elmundo.es.

Muchas gracias.