Huelga! General Strike starting June 20th

I wish I was a little bit more informed about this but...my boyfriend was noticing in our travels through madrid, ronda, and now in Sevilla, graffitti saying "Huelga! 20 de Junio" From watching the news,(understanding very little) and talking to a market vendor today, there will be a general strike in andalucia and possibly madrid starting Thurs. June 20th. I will pick up a newspaper tomorrow and see if I can figure out what´s going on.

There was a bus strike when I was in Barcelona and it was no joke, none of the city buses were running. Really wasn´t that big of a deal because the metro is so handy, but I have no idea what a general strike means. Will I have to rent a car to get to the airport

I´m sure there´s someone out there that is better informed, but I will grab a paper tomorrow and try to get some info too.

The Huelga General (General Strike) is a national effort. Workers will be striking all across the country. The biggest complaint is the government´s efforts to change some of the labor laws, particularly as they relate to unemployment.

Actually, it will be interesting to see what will happen. The last general strike took place in the 80s and apparently alot was paralyzed. However, I don´t think the workers as as "activist" as they were in the 80s. In a few of the companies that I am in and out of, there is just a real sense of vagueness about the strike.

The impression that I have is that workers will be more activist oriented towards Andalucia. In some of the big companies here in Madrid alot of people are pooh poohing the idea of the strike.

If you are flying out of Spain on the 20th, you should be very afraid. I think transport workers will be the first to follow the strike. European leaders were to travel to a meeting in Spain on the 20th and they put off their travel until the 21st due to the strike.

The strike will be only the 20th. It will affect transports but there will be a minimun service, so it will be possible to catch the metro, although we don't know still how often, it'll be anounced during this week. I don't know about taxis, but I think it will be worst. Anyway, essential services will go on.
I don't think it will affect airlines, maybe it could affect airports with more delays, I don't know...You wil be able to catch your plane, although you'll have to be more careful about times.
I don't know how it could affect shops, restaurants or museums...

Some additional info that can someone please verify:
To show support for the strike, Iberia Pilots will be going on strike the 21 of June.
Air Traffic Controllers EURO WIDE will be striking 18 of June. (This one I am pretty sure on and there will be no flights at all in Europe).
Also, does anyone know Iberia Pilots usual strike plans for the summer (i.e. last year I think they struck every Tuesday during the summer).
ANyone notice how dirty the Metros are? The Garbage collectors are on strike. Hode*!
Regards

Not too many years ago ('98, I believe), I flew into and out of Madrid the morning an Air Traffic Controller strike began. I arrived on Spanair from Washington, D.C. (Dulles) and then connected to Santiago (Spanair included the Madrid-Santiago roundtrip at no additional cost). Mine must have been one of the few flights that departed Barajas that morning: I got to Hostal Hogar San Francisco (Santiago) and turned on TVE, the strike was the main news story. They were showing footage from Madrid and Barcelona airports, including the departure area where I had boarded my flight a few hours earlier: by then it was a real mob scene!

Does anyone have more information on the air controllers' strike on June 18? I'm arriving in Madrid that mornign on a flight that leaves Atlanta the night of the 17th and am wondering if service will be disrupted.

I have heard in the news that Renfe workers (railways) have decided not to follow the strike. Thus, there would be normal services of trains all over Spain. I will confirm this whenever I see it again.

Personally I don't think there are reasons enough to mount a national strike (though there are reasons, because some of the workers rights are being cutted off). I would work if I had a job...

Fernando

I doubt very much about the Iberia pilots strike. I have heard (although didn't read directly) than the SEPLA (the pilots trade union) doesn't support the strike of 20th, and after the last year strike, they were forced to accord no more strikes for four years or something like that.
I haven't heard also anything about airport controllers.
The general strike will be followed by 36% of Spanish workers, although 54% believe there are reasons to do it (CIS).
The metro cleaners strike has finished today, fortunely.

You raise a great point. While in Spain two weeks ago, I went all over. Like you when we were in Barcelona, I noticed that the buses weren't running either. A taxi driver was telling us that the taxes aren't in the same union as the bus drivers and if they were, the taxis would have went on strike as well. I hope everything works out in the end.

Note that LAB is calling for a strike on the 19th as well. This is probably likely to affect (especially) the north (especially the Basque region, including Navarra).

I have confirmed that Iberia pilots, Sepla air controllers and Renfe personel is not going to second the strike.

Fernando

Interesting, though I am skeptical. They usually strike at the drop of a sombrero.

Strike threat over Europe's skies

http://europe.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/06/16/eu.atcstrike/index.html

Thanks for all the great info! I talked to a cab driver this morning and he said "todo el pais" should not be working, so you know cabbies will be striking for sure. On the news it said there will be minimal transportation services(25-35% less). The driver also said they will do another strike on the 17th and the 18th of (I think) next month (my spanish isn´t great). From what I could understand, he said that there are many workers that aren´t as activist oriented, like mentioned above, but the second strike in July should be longer to show them they mean business.
Here in madrid I saw maintenance workers taking down huelga signs from bus stops. My flight leaves just the day before on the 19th, so (hopefully) I won´t get stuck in the middle of the strike. Although, it would be interesting to see how the huelga does effect spain and their workers. Coming from the states where strikes seem to rarely happen it was impressive seeing the solidarity of the bus drivers in Barcelona. If any one is in Spain the 20th I´d love to hear your accounts or experiences with the huelga.

Missing Spain already!!

EEEK jmp110372! I just read the CNN article. Looks like Weds. is going to be an interesting travel day after all. Does anyone have any info on British Airways!

Just thought that I would share. I am on the email distribution list for the Expat Exchange and got this following message about travel warnings to Spain regarding the upcoming strike...

>>>>>Travel Warning: Spain<<<<<<

Full Warning:
http://www.expatexchange.com/dev/sasnetworks.cfm?networkID=212

This Public Announcement alerts Americans to the potential for disruption caused by general strikes planned for Spain June 18-21, 2002 and anti-globalization demonstrations scheduled for June 21-22, 2002.

Three major strikes are being planned for the third week of June 2002. The two largest employee unions in Spain, Union General de Trabajadores (UGT) and Comision de Obrerores (CC.OO.) have called for a general strike for all of Spain on Thursday, June 20, 2002 to coincide with the European Council Summit in Seville. It is anticipated that many segments of the Spanish labor force will participate, including international and domestic airline employees. The Basque provinces have decided to honor the strike on June 19, 2002. In addition, anti-globalization demonstrations are expected to occur on June 21 and 22, 2002, in Seville.

While demonstrations may focus in Seville, nationwide participation has been called for in the general strikes and may cause disruptions throughout Spain, including air travel.

Ugh, they started the strike here today (19th) in the Basque country. It´s such a pain. I didn´t realize how lucky we are in the US to not suffer too much from strikes.

Now that today, Thursday, is almost done in Spain, could some Spaniards (or others) please give us a local update as to the situation/feelings of the strike? Thanks!

I was speaking to my boyfriend this morning about it (he is in Murcia). He said that there were many people who did want to go to work and couldn't because of the Piquetes ( a group of people that get together that support the strike and make it impossible or hard for people to go, and will even cause damage or physical harm to prevent people from working) have made it hard... like there were some parking garages where they had put caulking in the locks so people couldn't get in.

Also, people are very upset about the policeman that died. From what my boyfriend says, although people aren't happy about some of the changes, the majority don't think its a reason to strike and that the strike is a bit frivilous. But if it seems like lots of people supported it, its more appearance than fact, as I said before, they wanted to work, but for different reasons, couldn't. But appearances mean alot... so who knows if it'll work or not!

If he says anything new tonight when I speak with him, I'll post more.

Similarly, a lot of people wanted to strike but were threatened by their bosses...
I'm in favour of the strike. It's a bit soon to know how successful the strike was. Not surprisingly, the two sides seem to have spent the day on different planets with the government claiming only 12% of workers stopped working and the unions 90%. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle, with a high participation in industry and a lower one in the service sector.
Walking around Madrid today I did get the impression that more shops and bars were closed than were open, and there was a Sunday-like atmosphere.
The march this evening to Sol was one of the biggest I've been on. It's hard to guage when you're on the ground, but there were perhaps a couple of hundred thousand. A figures war will no doubt erupt tomorrow.
I'll keep you posted. I have to get back to some activism now...!

Did the strike effect small towns and cities like Cuenca and Toledo? Were employees of museums and parks etc. striking?

I think the action of piquetes was minimal, and everything was normal. Almost everybody that wanted to work could. I wouldn't say the same for all who wanted to go on strike, as Barry said, lot of people is afraid of loosing their job if they go on strike.
I agree with Barry in the sensation of being in a fairy day, although some shops were opened and some kids went to school.
I think in my neighbourghood there were more shops opened than closed, but in others neighbourghoods it was different.
I also calculated the manifestation of Madrid in 200.000 persons, although the Unions said 500.000 and the police 40.000. It's also the biggest one I have ever been in.

Ahh - the politics of numbers! 500,000 vs. 40,000 is really taking the quagmire a bit too far though. Do the strikers - i.e., the press releases issued from the unions - feel that any of their demands will be met?

I watched them lay siege to El Corte Inglés and then the night before they tried to burn down the Easy everything on Montera. Nice. The Socialist party has lost my vote for being STUPID.

Maybe they will be referees for FIFA!

Asterault, "them" & "they" as you say, represent 100% of the group?? Or maybe just 20-30 crazy persons of the 500,000 which attended the march? This is what someone told me who was at the march to Puerta del Sol in Madrid, that the media blew out of proportion the damage done by a "few bad apples" in order to destroy support in the eyes of the public. It's kind of like the difference in reports of 40,000 and 500,000 (or whatever the numbers).

Mmmm, I think your comments are very interesting MM. I am really bored about the general strike, no for and no against (I think that there are reasons for complaining, but paralizing a country is too much).

Why do you think the media would want to destroy support to the strikers?

I'm not saying it is not possible. But, how do you see it from a neutral point of view?

Fernando

I have to agree with Fernando once again here, the whole "strike thing" has just been boring and, in my view, all about manipulation. Only former president Felipe Gonzalez(a socialist) being graceful enough to speak out sort of against the strike meant a bit of "fresh air".
Over all I'll admit I'm not the best person to give her opinion on the strike since I just have no clue what went on that day! I lived a day of "Japanese-style stike" so to speak, working like mad from 9 to 20:30hrs., only stopping for a 45mns. lunch break (my regular hours should be 9 to 18hrs. with a two-hour lunch break), besides, I was really sorry to miss lunch with Chica/Becky!
Other than that, I decided to "move" to my parents for a couple of nights to be able to walk to the office, just in case I would find any transportation problems....I really didn't know what to expect since during the one in 1988 I was a happy exchange student in Ohio!

I hope Aznar and his administration holds its ground! In order for Spain to come into the modern world, they must keep up their progress towards a real hard working economy (unless they discover oil or something).

Another bitter but true Spanish reality. I look forward to sweeter SPANISH production of SPANISH high end goods that will help Spain take its place in the world (non-eu) economy.

"a little humility will bring a lot of pride"