2012 may be remembered as the Year of Strikes for many countries in Europe. Protesting austerity measures and job cuts that have become the norm after the global recession, workers have taken to the streets (or at least made serious threats to do so) in the UK, France, Italy, Greece and Spain this year, affecting travel throughout the continent and beyond.
And the situation shows little sign of improving, with more Spanish strikes planned for the end of the year: According to Business Recorder and other sources, employees at Spain's luxury hotel chain Paradores de Turismo began a series of strikes Friday over job cuts at the state-owned company. Seven of its 93 hotels are closing, while 27 will only remain open for seven months a year. The savings plan will eliminate 640 jobs and cut working hours and pay for many of the remaining 3,470 employees. Trade unions announced work stoppages for this past Friday (which many Spaniards took off following a national holiday on Thursday) as well as Saturday, December 31 and January 1.
Isabel Borrego, a secretary of state responsible for tourism, said the New Year strike was an "irresponsible" act which would cause losses amounting to $2 million. The strike announcement has already led to cancellations at many of the hotels. At the Parador do Albarino in the north-western region of Galicia, for instance, about 50 people cancelled their stays this weekend, the newspaper Faro de Vigo reported. Paradores' losses have totaled more than 100 million euros since 2007, when the economic crisis began biting in Spain and Europe. Union representative Enrique Sanchez attributed the losses to poor management. Unions are reportedly concerned that the job cuts are a first step towards privatizing the company.
According to Reuters, strikes have become commonplace in Spain in recent months as workers baulk at lay-offs and pay cuts during a deep recession marked by 25 percent unemployment, in a country struggling to avoid a sovereign bail-out. Tourists visiting Spain face other possible strike-related setbacks in the coming weeks. Management at the country's flag-carrier Iberia held talks with unions on Friday in an attempt to avoid six days of strikes set for peak holiday travel days from December 14 to December 21 in protest over plans by parent company IAG to cut thousands of jobs. Other strike action in recent weeks has included medical staff in Madrid over plans to privatize some hospitals and refuse collection in Jerez de la Frontera, where a work stoppage stretched on for days, leading to piles of rubbish in the streets.
It goes without saying that travel is a vital part of the global economy, and that any strike that makes travel difficult hurts the many industries that depend upon it. While only time will tell if the civil unrest continues through 2013, we may see some significant changes as various industries—both public and private—find new ways to manage business that help everyone in the long run.
Do you think the strike trend will continue through 2013? Why or why not? Sound off in the comments below!