News

Basque unions faced Tuesday''s strike still divided over labour reforms introduced by José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero''s Socialist government. A general strike was convened by Basque nationalist unions in both Euskadi and Navarre, and by the (PSOE-affiliated) union CCOO only in the three provinces of the Basque Country (Alava, Biscay and Guipuzcoa).

Despite coinciding on the date, however, the nationalist and non-nationalist calls to strike are separate affairs with differing agendas.

The Secretary of Communication for Basque nationalist union ELA, Patxi Agirrezabala, released a statement first thing Tuesday morning. In it he expressed his satisfaction with the turnout among Basque workers.

Agirrezabala added that, "despite some minor incidents" the day was "going ahead as hoped" and highlighted the "massive" strike following that had been registered in Guipuzcoa.

Neither Spanish union Comisiones Obreras nor the Basque or Navarre Governments released any statements regarding the action.

STRIKE FIGURES BY SECTOR

According to different sources, these are the strike figures for the following sectors:

Health

Government figures put the number of health service workers on strike at 6.36%, Gipuzkoa is the province with the highest incidence, 8.39%, followed by Biscay on 5.65% and Alava on 5%.

Industry

According to Spanish union CCOO, there is total industrial action in Gipuzkoa, while Biscay has registered a 90% and Alava an 80% incidence.

According to the union in Alava, 60% of Michelin staff and 90% in Sidenor, Mercedes and MSM joined Tuesday’s strike.

Government

The Basque Government said the total percentage of strikers among Administration staff was 8.65%.

Private sector

Basque Government figures put the total number of strikers in the private sector at 23%, with a 25% following in Gipuzkoa, 23% in Biscay and 19% in Alava.

Isolated incidents

In the early hours of the strike, a number of isolated incidents were reported though nothing which hindered people''s entry to work or into the cities, the Interior Department of the Basque Government reported.

In the Bilbao district of Deusto, some as yet unidentified protestors set fire to a number of large bins and tyres.

Basque police also reported incidents in which picketers threatened or confronted employees. Other episodes were reported in Zalla, Elorrieta and Zorroza.

Picket lines have formed outside a number of industrial estates and large companies, such as Ali-Gobeo in Vitoria, Naval in Sestao as well as the markets of San Sebastian and Bilbao.