A difficult move

I have mixed feelings about the general strike which has been called for later this month by the main trade unions. On one count I believe that now is not the time for industrial action especially as the Spanish economy is heading for a severe recession. But on another count I believe that the Spanish government of Mariano Rajoy has gone too far with its labour law reform which makes it much easier for employers to hire and fire. Obviously, the trade unions are not impressed and for this reason they have called for industrial action. They have a point. The new law, is aimed at reducing unemployment, but in fact I believe that it will make the jobless figure even higher because companies will just reduce their workforce even more. What the unions must do though is to try and find a way in which they can make their point but at the same time not bring the Spanish economy to a standstill. No easy task! Rajoy knew that his labour reforms would cause industrial unrest, infact he said so at a recent European Union summit. What concerns me is that the general strike will hit holiday bookings to the island. Who wants to go on holiday to a place where there is industrial unrest? I would urge the unions to work with the government and try to find a solution, in other words a watered down version of the labour reform. Even the big employers are not impressed by the new law which also slashes the amount of redundancy money employers have to pay.