The threatened national general strike for the 29th of September now looks inevitable, therefore please take this into account in your travel and other arrangements for the day.
Minimum services have been worked out, but cannot be relied upon.
The general mood in the country is not one of much sympathy for the strike, and the unions know it. Many people believe that it will do more to harm the economical situation in the country, than to help it. The cause and credibility of the unions was put into question by their announcement in June that they would postpone the General Strike until after the summer holidays…
Furthermore, there is not much support for public-sector workers from their private-sector counterparts – and the strike primarily deals with the Governments cuts in that area, as well as to cuts to public pensions. This is because many small and medium businesses cannot afford the loss of revenue that such a stoppage would bring about. In fact, some traders are even demanding police protection on the day as they firmly intend to remain open for business.
UPDATE:
Well, here in Almuñécar, at least, the strike has been a bit of a failure, with most bars and small businesses opening timidly in the morning.
Naturally, the unions are claiming the opposite. As for the rest of Andalucía, pickets targeted big businesses and factories. The unions complained that there was a huge police deployment, which they claimed was intimidating. However, considering the attitude and actions of the pickets, that is a case of the pot calling the kettle black. Many shops found silicone, for instance, had been squirted into their locks to prevent them from opening in Málaga, Sevilla, Cordoba, Granada and Jaen.
The Government will be making its own observations later this evening, but by no means can the strike be classified as a success.