Spain on Strike
The Spanish people have a strong history of being protesters. I guess that's why they seem to constantly be on strike. Since I arrived in September, there has been at least one group striking at nearly all times. First we had the cleaning crew for the subway/underground system. That was really unpleasant. Not only did they stop cleaning for several weeks, but during the night they would toss garbage down the entrances, so you literally had to pick your way down the stairs, avoiding old hamburger wrappers and dirty diapers. Then there was the bus drivers strike. They were required to provide minimum services, which meant one bus every 45 minutes. That is NOT enough for a city this big. I was personally affected by this one too, having to leave an hour early for work some days! Next was the garbage collecters strike. Once again, not pleasant! After that was the meter maid strike. All the police-type officials that collect the parking meter money went around and put tape and signs all over the parking meters. I think that one is still going on. Luckily, I'm not directly affected. In fact, this might be the only strike with positive consequences for the citizens, considering no one has to pay for parking right now.
And now, if everyone's predictions are correct, the two current strikes will have big, bad repercussions for the entire country. All the other strikes were city-wide. The two current strikes (both starting today) are nation-wide, and both protesting the same thing: the high cost of gasoline. First are the fishermen. For them, today is "paro total," which means no one goes out to fish. The second group are the truckers. This, after only one day, has proved to be the most dangerous and violent strike. ALL the major highways are jammed with trucks, causing a traffic catastrophe. Striking truckers are blocking entrances to major distribution centers and attacking truckers who don't comply with the strike.
With these two strikes, within a matter of days Spain is likely to run short of food supplies.
I don't have strong political leanings, and if someone's not being treated fairly, then a well planned protest or strike could possibly resolve some problems. BUT when your actions negatively affect the ENTIRE country...? And not only that, the violence! How can you prove your point with violence? We all know that doesn't solve problems...
