THIRD WAVE OF ANTI-CUTS PROTEST IN ONE WEEK

SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Saturday March 27 2010

TENERIFE'S capital Santa Cruz saw the third demonstration against public service cuts in one week on Saturday.

by JAMES TWEEDIE

The demonstration was in opposition Tenerife Cabildo government cuts in services for children and disabled people, including the closure of the Juvenile Reception Centre (CAME) in El Portezuelo near La Laguna.

Hundreds of service users and members of the national Workers' Commissions (CCOO) and the regional Canarian Workers' Syndical Front (FSOC) and the Canarian Assembly of Workers (ATC) marched from the central Plaza Weyler to the Tenerife's Cabildo government building in the seafront Plaza España.

Protesters waved placards of mock 'wanted' posters for Cabildo president Ricardo Melchior and carried a banner accusing the government of prioritising infrastructure projects over helping vulnerable members of society.

The march followed similar demonstrations by the National Confederation of Workers (CNT) on Saturday March 20 and the Intersindical Canaria (IC) on Thursday March 25.

Unlike Britain with its single Trade Union Congress (TUC) founded in 1865, Spain has a plethora of national and regional union federations aligned to different political movements.

See photos of the demonstration at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/arribalasqueluchan/sets/72157623714999450/

http://www.sindicatoatc.com/galeria27.3.10.html

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