Don’t forget that Spain has a holiday on the 29th September, as a national strike looms. Unions are threatening to close down the country if ZP doesn’t undo much needed -and too little- changes to work laws, in a classic example of why, today in the 21st century, these 19th century union models should be banned. ZP claims to be “relaxed” about the whole thing, although his fingernails are getting shorter.
Government and public sector workers across the land will be putting down tools and having a even longer lunch than normal. It will be a bad day to renew your residencia or have a heart attack.
Consumer organisations are jumping on the bandwagon by announcing that private citizens can get in on the act by declaring the 29th of September “national don’t buy anything day”. (For example, see Facua here). This could be because, if memory serves me right, on the last national strike everybody who didn’t go to work went shopping, causing a record day of sales and thus kept the shopkeepers happy. Facua, the Andalucian consumer organisation, is marketing this under the slogan “against a market controlled Europe”. Whole thing reeks of socialism, if you ask me. Doesn’t seem to be making too much of an impact, with a mere 233 people “liking” it on Facebook. They should get Richard Shanley involved.
On a side note, Izquierda Unida Almería is upset because somebody stole the large poster outside their Almeria HQ advertising the national strike. Declaring this to be a “blow against democracy”, and hinting at Dark Forces Moving Behind The Scenes, they don’t seem to agree with the Guardia’s assesment that is was a prank and are demanding a full judicial enquiry into this “suppression of free speech”.