Around 8,000 miners have been involved in ongoing strikes and militant protests after the government announced cuts to subsidies for the region’s coal mines.
There are around 40 mines in the country, mainly in the north, where they offer vital jobs in an increasingly depressed economy. The end of the subsidy will effectively mean the end of those jobs, as Spanish coal prices will increase beyond those of imported alternatives. The strikers view winning the strike as essential to their livelihoods. It is increasingly becoming a set-piece battle as the government deepens its austerity program.
Consequently, they have utilised various forms of direct action to maximise the impact of the strike.
Coal mines ignite in Asturias
Around 8,000 miners have been involved in ongoing strikes and militant protests after the government announced cuts to subsidies for the region’s coal mines.
There are around 40 mines in the country, mainly in the north, where they offer vital jobs in an increasingly depressed economy. The end of the subsidy will effectively mean the end of those jobs, as Spanish coal prices will increase beyond those of imported alternatives. The strikers view winning the strike as essential to their livelihoods. It is increasingly becoming a set-piece battle as the government deepens its austerity program.
Consequently, they have utilised various forms of direct action to maximise the impact of the strike.
Read more: http://libcom.org/news/coal-mines-ignite-asturias-10062012