Cultural Week in Casares Costa

UNIONS UNITE IN OPPOSITION TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT REFORM

Unions have pledged opposition to the local government reform plan of Prime Minister Rajoy which they say will lead to cuts in public services and jobs in Casares. The CCOO and UGT unions said that if the planned reform goes through one third of the workforce in Casares would lose their jobs, that means 67 people joining the dole queue. These workers are already dealing with cuts in health services, education, social welfare and culture and sports. The unions also claimed that the cuts would affect basic services such as ambulances and nursery schools. Union representatives have already met with European unions to discuss a common platform against the cuts, The protest against the planned reform is being supported by the United Left and the Socialist Party, while the Peoples Party has backed the Government's reform measure.

 

SPAIN’S UNEMPLOYMENT HITS A RECORD HIGH OF OVER 27 PER CENT

Spain’s unemployment rate has hit a record all time high of 27.2 per cent of the workforce in the first quarter of this year. This is the highest figure since records began in the mid 1970’s. There are now 6.2 million people out of work.  The jobless rate stood at 7.9 per cent in 2007, but the collapse of the property boom and the economic crisis which began in 2008 has seen the number out of work rising relentlessly since then. Today Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is to outline his government’s plans aimed at halting the recession in the Eurozone’s fourth largest economy. But opponents of austerity are planning major demonstrations in Madrid and other centres. The International Monetary Fund has forecast that the unemployment rate would peak at 27 per cent this year.