Crisis-weary Europeans strike to protest cutbacks

Riot police and protesters clash Wednesday in Rome during a demonstration over austerity measures.

Riot police and protesters clash Wednesday in Rome during a demonstration over austerity measures.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

— Hundreds of thousands of Europeans went on strike or snarled the streets of several capitals Wednesday, at times clashing with riot police, as they demanded that governments stop cutting benefits and create more jobs.

Protesters spoke of a “social emergency” crippling the world’s largest economic bloc, a union of 27 nations and a half-billion people.

The breadth of the demonstrations, which affected scores of cities, reflected widespread unhappiness with high unemployment, slowing growth and worsening economic prospects in Europe, and the resistance that European governments confront as they push plans for more belt-tightening.

The demonstrations were met with tear gas in Italy and Spain, but were largely limited to the countries hit hardest by the austerity measures designed to get government spending into line with revenue. Wealthier nations — Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark — saw smaller, peaceful gatherings.

Governments backing stringent austerity measures championed their positions despite the show of unrest.

“We must nevertheless do what is necessary: break open encrusted labor markets, give more people a chance to work, become more flexible in many areas,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel said. “We will of course make this clear, again and again, in talks with the unions.”

Spanish Economy Minister Luis de Guindos spoke of “a long crisis that has meant sacrifice and uncertainty,” but said: “The government is convinced that the path we have taken is the only possible way out.”

To combat a three-year financial crisis over too much sovereign debt, governments across Europe have had to raise taxes and cut spending, pensions and benefits. While lowering workers’ incomes and living standards, the measures also have led to a decline in economic output and a sharp increase in unemployment.

The zone of the 17 countries that use the euro currency is expected to fall into recession when official figures are released today. Unemployment across those countries has reached a record 11.6 percent, with Spain and Greece seeing levels above 25 percent.

With no forecasts of immediate economic improvement, workers Wednesday said they were trying to take a stand.

Ignacio Fernandez Toxo, the head of one of Spain’s two main unions, Comisiones Obreras, said the coordinated strike across the Iberian Peninsula, as well as work stoppages in other parts of Europe, amounted to “a historic moment in the European Union movement.”

Toxo called Wednesday’s actions “a political strike against the policies of a suicidal and anti-social government.”

Spain, reeling from austerity measures designed to prevent it from asking for a full-blown international bailout, is mired in recession with 50 percent unemployment among its under-25s.

The Spanish strike shut down most schools, and hospitals operated with skeleton staffs. Health and education have suffered serious spending cutbacks and increased moves toward privatization. The strike disrupted automobile production at Spanish factories owned by Nissan, Volkswagen and other carmakers. With security guards and other workers off the job in Granada, one of Spain’s biggest tourism attractions, the Alhambra palace, was closed to visitors.

Frustration spilled into violence when riot police clashed with demonstrators in Madrid and other Spanish cities.

In the late afternoon, tens of thousands filled the downtown streets of Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and other cities, though officials and organizers gave differing turnout figures. The Interior Ministry said there were 35,000 in central Madrid, but unions reported 350,000. In Barcelona, organizers claimed more than 1 million turned out. Authorities there said it was around 50,000.

By early evening, 118 people had been arrested and 74 people, including 43 police, injured.

In Italy, protests turned violent as well, with some of the tens of thousands of students and workers clashing with riot police in Rome and several other cities. Dozens of demonstrators were detained and several police were injured, according to Italian news reports.

In bailed-out Portugal, where the government intends to intensify austerity measures next year, the second general strike in eight months left commuters stranded as trains ground to a halt and the Lisbon subway shut down. Some 200 flights to and from Portugal — about half the daily average — were canceled. Hospitals provided only minimum services and trash was left uncollected.

Marches in 40 Portuguese cities reportedly were peaceful but as night fell a small group of protesters threw rocks and bottles at riot police protecting the parliament building in Lisbon. A police charge dispersed the protesters who fled into narrow side-streets and set fire to trash cans. At least five people were injured.

In Belgium, a 24-hour rail stoppage disrupted the Thalys and the Eurostar high-speed rail services — vital links that connect Brussels, London and Paris.

Philippe de Buck, chief of the EU employers’ federation Eurobusiness, said the strike would cost billions and hurt Europe’s ability to attract investors.

“If you start striking at national level and in companies you only will harm the economy,” he said. “And it is not the right thing to do today.”

Workers’ rights and benefits have been one of the cornerstones Europe’s welfare state, with its guaranteed medical care, generous unemployment benefits and often comfortable pensions.

The union action was not felt across the entire region, however, with countries where austerity has not hit as hard experiencing little disruption.

In Austria, which has the eurozone’s lowest unemployment rate at 4.3 percent, about 350 people gathered in a central square in Vienna to express solidarity with Greece. Many danced a sirtaki, Greece’s traditional dance.

“So far, there are only symbolic demonstrations here in Germany, because we were able to avoid the crisis,” said Michael Sommer, the head of Germany’s main labor union federation.

In Denmark, too, there were no strikes, since cooperation between workers and employers has largely survived the crisis.

“The employers speak the same language as we do and we understand each other’s needs and demands,” said Joergen Frederiksen, a 69-yearold retired worker and former shop steward. “There are good vibes between us and that means a lot.”

Information for this article was contributed by Raf Casert, Ciaran Giles, Geir Moulson, Jan Olsen, Mike Corder, Barry Hatton, Colleen Barry and Elena Becatoros of The Associated Press; by Emma Ross-Thomas and Ben Sills of Bloomberg News; and by Raphael Minder of The New York Times.

Front Section, Pages 1 on 11/15/2012