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"We have to make some noise, because they're making fun of us and of all working people."
Coal industry subsidy cuts threaten around 50,000 mining and related jobs. Since May, thousand of miners struck, blocked streets and railroads. They and others vowed to keep struggling for justice. Police attack them violently.
According to Spanish sociologist Carlos Delclos :
"If Mariano Rajoy had any sense of decency, or even a fragment of dignity that the miners and the protesters have, then he would resign, along with the rest of his government.""He's broken every campaign promise that he's made, some even at comical levels. His entire party was saying that raising sales tax was unthinkable and all that, and now we have a 21-per-cent sales tax."
He thinks he can get away with anything. "What we are seeing is the impunity of a government that has a lot of people that pertain to groups that had affinity with the Franco government, the Fascist government, 40 years ago, and have never had to sit before trial since then," he added.
Multiple rounds of cuts assure more coming. Social Spain is being destroyed. New measures call for raising the VAT from 18 to 21% effective August 1. Over $800 million in domestic spending reductions is planned. Expect much more later.
At issue now is freezing public sector wages, cutting them for some state workers, slashing unemployment benefits, raising the retirement age from 65 - 67, and linking eroding pensions to life expectancy.
In addition, closures and/or privatizing state industries, ports, airports, and rail assets are planned. Town councillor numbers are being reduced by one-third. Regional and local government authority is eroding. Trade union and political party subsidies face 20% cuts.
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