Spain’s two biggest trade unions, CC OO and UGT, have called on employees in the public sector to go on strike on 2nd June calling on the trade union for civil servants, CSI-CSIF, and other unions representing workers in the public sector to support next month’s strike. The strike has been called in response to the government’s announcement that the salaries of public sectors employees will be cut by 5% as part of the government’s plans to reduce the budget deficit.

A number of demonstrations are planned throughout Spain before the 20th May and following a two hour meeting between the general secretary of CCOO, Ignacio Fernández Toxo, the general secretary of UGT, Cándido Méndez, and the Spanish president, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero a general strike has not been ruled out.

Toxo said that the government had chosen the worst possible way to reduce spending at a time when the recession has not been fully overcome and accused the president of trying to please the financial markets.

During the meeting with Zapatero both Toxo and Méndez asked for more details on the 5% reduction in public sector pay. Toxo said that it was the first time in history that civil servants had to have a pay cut and that 3 million workers would be affected. Méndez said that the new measures against the budget deficit were ‘sacrifices’ and asked the government to reflect on the measures announced this week.

Toxo said that the measures would mean that democracy in Spain would be damaged and said that 15,000 million euros of consumer spending and investment would be lost and that this would lead to undesired and unfair social effects. He also referred to the freezing of pensions and said that many people who were currently in the process of planning partial retirement would be affected.

Zapatero said that he respected the leaders of CCOO and UGT but defended the government’s measures to cut spending.

The president said that all the measures would be discussed and clarified in full before they were approved by parliament next week and asked for social dialogue to play a part in regenerating the Spanish economy and creating employment.