As you may already know, there’s a general strike (huelga general) in Spain tomorrow. Called by the Spanish unions UGT and CCOO against the Government’s labor reforms it’s going to hit all of the country and many of the services you may be used to using, Transportation, of course, will be one of the main industries hit.
If you’re planning on flying in Spain, or out of or to Spain, there’s a very big chance the general strike will cause your flight to be cancelled. So far, flights within Spain are expected to be 90% cancelled, with flights in and out of Spain to other areas of Europe will see 80% cancelled. If you’re on a long-haul flight, you may be a little luckier, with 60% of flights being cancelled as of this writing. Airlines like Iberia have already announced 65% of their flights will be cancelled, and more may be cancelled as the general strike begins.
As far as rail travel goes, more than 600 trains have been cancelled, with all Avant services non-functional for the day.
Many other businesses and services will also be affected by the general strike. Millions of Spaniards are planning on going on the 24-hour strike and, as is legal, many have not told their bosses they will strike. They just won’t show up for work tomorrow.
Unions have already said they are expecting a “massive strike” tomorrow with at least 30% of Spanish workers not showing up for work. Others who are already unemployed or retired are going to be joining events in Spain to voice their disapproval of the government’s new labour reforms.
So, if you’re not part of any of these groups, if you don’t have to leave home, it may well be worth your while just staying put and enjoying the show, rather than being inconvenienced when half of Spain closes down for the day. But…..if you are one of the groups affected by Spain’s dismal economy and new labour reforms, please, join the general strike and send a message to Rajoy.