Spain’s “Robin Hood” labour union hogs the limelight

The Andalusian SAT workers’ union has been hitting the headlines in Spain and abroad this summer, staging a series of high-profile protest actions. In early August, members of the union carried out “symbolic” raids on two supermarkets, stealing food that they said was destined for local charities. Juan Manuel Sánchez Gordillo, the mayor of the town of Marinaleda, supervised the robberies, which saw several people subsequently arrested. He said the food grabs would draw attention to the depth of Spain’s economic crisis, although the government and many commentators have criticised them for encouraging lawlessness.

By Iberosphere

Since then, Sánchez Gordillo has also been involved in a series of marches across Andalusia by around 400 SAT members who say they want to highlight the issue of unemployment. Spain has Europe’s highest jobless rate at 24.8 percent. Andalusia is one of the regions that has been most affected by the current economic crisis, with an unemployment rate of 34 percent, rising to 63 percent for those under the age of 25.

• Juan Manuel Sánchez Gordillo

• Córdoba

• Land and liberty

• Choosing the Iberians of 2012

Author: Iberosphere
Published: Aug 21 2012
Category: Spain News, Videos
Republication: Creative Commons, non-commercial
Short URL: http://iberosphere.com/?p=6647
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Tags: andalusia, Sánchez Gordillo, sat union, spain supermarket raid, spain supermarket robbery, spanish robin hood