The statisticians may argue for some time to come about the success or otherwise of Spain’s general strike. To nobody’s surprise, the UGT and CCOO unions, which organised the country’s first nationwide strike in eight years, described the protest as an overwhelming success, while the government said participation was “uneven”. Judging by Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero’s insouciant demeanour as he entered Congress on the morning of the strike, his government had little to worry about. And yet, the mass closure of businesses for the day, the crippling of the country’s bus services and thousands (or 70 percent, according to the organisers) of workers marching through Spain’s … [Read more...] about Spain’s general strike: too much, too late
Archives for September 2010
The strikers who have nothing to protest
There have been a number of signs over the last few months that the general strike called by Spain's two main trade union confederations, UGT and Comisiones Obreras (CCOO), against government economic policy and labour reform is not going to attract as big a crowd as anticipated. The first was that they switched the date of the strike from June to September 29th. The second was when, in late spring, the functionary-specific unions that had invited the leaders of UGT and CCOO, Cándido Méndez and Ignacio Fernández Toxo respectively, to a protest against government pay cuts later declared that neither would be welcome at future demonstrations. UGT and CCOO, it was felt, had attempted to hijack … [Read more...] about The strikers who have nothing to protest
Labordeta: Aragon’s protest-song politician
Politics and sport don’t mix, so the saying goes. Except in the case of Madrid’s working class heroes Rayo Vallecano. The third-tier soccer club’s famously leftist fans observed a minute’s silence before the start of their game on September 26 against Aragonese side Huesca in memory of José Antonio Labordeta, the singer, poet, and politician who died on September 18 after a long illness. Labordeta came to prominence in the final years of the Franco regime by combining traditional Aragonese tunes with modern Spanish folk music, and captured the spirit of a generation tired of waiting for the dictator to die. Over the years he stuck to his principles, vociferously opposing Spain’s initial … [Read more...] about Labordeta: Aragon’s protest-song politician
Basque deal with Houston derailed by improper practice
When representatives of US railway companies visited Spain last year to examine the country’s AVE high-speed train system with a view to taking back with them some hints for their own networks, it was a boon to Spanish rail infrastructure. Spanish firms also saw a chance to showcase their cutting-edge technology in the rail and wind turbine industries in the United States when President Obama announced last year that billions of dollars would be available through the job-stimulus Recovery and Reinvestment Act. But when US transportation officials revealed in early September that one of the Spanish firms to benefit from the US government plan had committed serious violations in cahoots … [Read more...] about Basque deal with Houston derailed by improper practice
Acquaintance rape: the trauma and shame of a hidden crime
“When I realised what he was going to do, I froze and the panic immobilized my body. I realised I couldn’t fight back. I am 48 kilos; he was 1.90 meters tall and very strong. I tried to scream but my voice wouldn’t come out, who could come rescue me? I suddenly saw myself floating above the room out of my body.” These are the words of Silvia (which is not her real name), who was raped by a man she had been dating for two months when she told him she wanted to break up. Besides the trauma of the experience itself, she then found herself in a quandary when it came to reporting the crime. “I thought about going to the police but would they believe me? He raped my in my own house, used a … [Read more...] about Acquaintance rape: the trauma and shame of a hidden crime
Sarkozy’s Gypsy policy a boon for Spain’s xenophobes
France has done Spain a couple of big favours over recent years. For one, it has kept up police pressure on Basque separatist group ETA, which has for decades used southwest France as a haven for its terrorists. Cooperation between Spanish and French authorities has led to dozens of arrests, leaving the organisation on its knees. Also, President Nicolas Sarkozy boosted his neighbour’s international profile by ensuring Spain had a seat at G20 summits, even though the country was not part of the G8. With that in mind, perhaps it is not so surprising that Socialist Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero backed Sarkozy during the recent controversy over France’s deportation of Romanian … [Read more...] about Sarkozy’s Gypsy policy a boon for Spain’s xenophobes
Farewell to the restless soul of Madredeus
During the now-legendary beginnings of Madredeus in the late eighties, the group rehearsed in the wing of an old Lisbon convent. For anyone who has heard them, this was a perfect venue for their fado-influenced folk music. After those modest beginnings, Madredeus would go on to sell millions of records and become a success not just in their native Portugal, but worldwide. Yet founding member Francisco Ribeiro, who died on September 14 at the age of 45 from liver cancer, gave the impression that he would rather play his cello back in that old convent by the River Tagus, than tour the world as part of such a wildly successful group. “(Ribeiro was a) fragile person, in the most hardworking … [Read more...] about Farewell to the restless soul of Madredeus
Rafa Nadal stakes all-court claim as the greatest
When Rafa Nadal dropped to the blue surface of Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows having defeated Novak Djokovic to win the US Open, the world number one’s third Grand Slam victory of the year, he laid to rest one of the debates surrounding his leviathan rivalry with Roger Federer. There is now little doubt that at present, the Spaniard is the best tennis player in the world, the year-end number one ranking already sown up with two months of the season to play. His ninth victory in the sport’s four showpiece tournaments elevated Nadal to a status occupied by few in history and only himself and Federer in actuality – that of a holder of the Career Grand Slam. That Nadal achieved tennis’ … [Read more...] about Rafa Nadal stakes all-court claim as the greatest
The mystery of Rajoy and the Spanish economy
“I know about economics. I’m not an economist but I know about economics and I have aides whom I consult.” This comment, made during a recent television interview, is not very reassuring coming from a man who aspires to become Spain’s prime minister in the near future. But then Mariano Rajoy is rarely unequivocal in his handling of the conservative Popular Party (PP) he leads. According to many, his reluctance to be clear-cut and firm is typical of the ambiguous Galician character. One obvious example is Rajoy’s management of the ongoing corruption scandal rocking his party. The lack of a clear policy on this has meant that some PP politicians facing investigation for the Gürtel … [Read more...] about The mystery of Rajoy and the Spanish economy
Hércules’ Italian job on Barça restores Liga intrigue
While staff at the Spanish Economy Ministry have been telling anyone who will listen for the last few months that “Spain isn’t Greece”, over at the football federation, they’ve had a rather more tricky time of it trying to convince us that “Spain isn’t Scotland”. Scotland in this context means a country with only two teams that ever look remotely like winning the domestic league. And over the last few years, while Real Madrid and Barcelona may not resemble Celtic and Glasgow Rangers in any way on the pitch, each pair of teams seems to enjoy a similarly vice-like duopoly on the silverware. So it was refreshing to see league champion and European powerhouse Barcelona humbled 2-0 by newly … [Read more...] about Hércules’ Italian job on Barça restores Liga intrigue