Spanish general strike of 1988
Encyclopedia
Spain
's 1988 general strike took place on December 14, and in Spain it is simply called 14-D (shortened form of 14 Diciembre; Cf. N30). It was called by the two main trade union
s: CCOO and Unión General de Trabajadores
(UGT).
Triggered by a significant reform in the labour market, namely a new more flexible contract for unexperienced youngsters with less redundancy pay, the strike was moreover a manifestation of general discontent with Spain's Socialist
government policies. The government's economic policies were thought to be too conservative
by trade union
s and many left-wing voters.
The country was completely and peacefully paralyzed for 24 hours, prompting the government to negotiate with the unions. Even the TV signal was turn off by the workers. That flexible contract was retired and welfare state was increased. However, the strike did not prevent a third absolute majority by the socialist party, whose leader, Felipe Gonzalez
, remained popular.
in 1993.
, the anarchist union, CNT, and the second largest teachers' union, STEC, called a strike in the educational sector for 14-D, 2005 to use the symbolic power of 14-D as a strike called by the left against a socialist government and to protest a new education law which they thought gave too much money to private schools, which are mostly Catholic, in Spain. The strike had limited success due to lack of support from other unions.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
's 1988 general strike took place on December 14, and in Spain it is simply called 14-D (shortened form of 14 Diciembre; Cf. N30). It was called by the two main trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
s: CCOO and Unión General de Trabajadores
Unión General de Trabajadores
The Unión General de Trabajadores is a major Spanish trade union, historically affiliated with the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party .-History:...
(UGT).
Triggered by a significant reform in the labour market, namely a new more flexible contract for unexperienced youngsters with less redundancy pay, the strike was moreover a manifestation of general discontent with Spain's Socialist
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party is a social-democratic political party in Spain. Its political position is Centre-left. The PSOE is the former ruling party of Spain, until beaten in the elections of November 2011 and the second oldest, exceeded only by the Partido Carlista, founded in...
government policies. The government's economic policies were thought to be too conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
by trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
s and many left-wing voters.
The country was completely and peacefully paralyzed for 24 hours, prompting the government to negotiate with the unions. Even the TV signal was turn off by the workers. That flexible contract was retired and welfare state was increased. However, the strike did not prevent a third absolute majority by the socialist party, whose leader, Felipe Gonzalez
Felipe González
Felipe González Márquez is a Spanish socialist politician. He was the General Secretary of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party from 1974 to 1997. To date, he remains the longest-serving Prime Minister of Spain, after having served four successive mandates from 1982 to 1996.-Early life:Felipe was...
, remained popular.
Consequences of the 14-D strike
Some economists believe the strike was to blame for a large increase in public spending, which led to an increase in the budget deficit. Others prefer to blame public spending in the 1992 Olympic Games held in Barcelona, the 1992 world fair in Seville, plus the first high-speed train, for the large budget deficit. The budget deficit led to spending cuts which, coupled with a tough monetary policy, led to a recessionRecession
In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction, a general slowdown in economic activity. During recessions, many macroeconomic indicators vary in a similar way...
in 1993.
Other important general strikes in modern Spain
- 1985 strike (24 hours): only called by CC.OO., one of the two main unions, against reforms in the pension system.
- 1991 strike (4 hours): against Gulf War.
- 1992 strike (8 hours): against labour market reforms.
- 1994 strike (24 hours): against labour market reforms.
- 2002 strike (24 hours): against labour market reforms.
- 2003 strike (2 hours): against Iraq War (only called by UGT).
Use of 14-D in other strikes
Some minority unions, including the students' unionStudents' union
A students' union, student government, student senate, students' association, guild of students or government of student body is a student organization present in many colleges and universities, and has started appearing in some high schools...
, the anarchist union, CNT, and the second largest teachers' union, STEC, called a strike in the educational sector for 14-D, 2005 to use the symbolic power of 14-D as a strike called by the left against a socialist government and to protest a new education law which they thought gave too much money to private schools, which are mostly Catholic, in Spain. The strike had limited success due to lack of support from other unions.