UNIONS RALLY AGAINST GOVERNMENT PAY CUTS

SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Thursday May 20 2010

HUNDREDS of public-sector workers protested against the government's austerity plan in Tenerife's capital Santa Cruz on Thursday.

by JAMES TWEEDIE

Demonstrators waved flags and chanted slogans against Socialist Worker's Party (PSOE) prime minister José Luis Zapatero.

A banner read: “For the defence of the public against government cuts – Mobilize!”

State employees are threatening a national general strike on June 8 if the government does not back down on its €15 billion austerity plan – part of its response to the financial crisis.

The plan includes a five per cent pay cut for state workers from June, an immediate freeze on increases in state pensions and a pay freeze from next year.

The protest outside the national government's Sub-delegation or regional office included members of the large national Workers' Commissions (CCOO) and General Union of Workers (UGT).

Also present were the smaller Independent Public Employees' Union Centre (CSIF), the Public Employees' Federation (FEP-USO), the Unified Police Union (SUP) and the Federal Police Union (UFP).

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