Listening Interview

Spain's general strike is also a day of action for the 99%
Polls say only 30% of the employed will take part on Friday, but it will also be what the Occupy movement calls an 'invisible' strike
Spain is about to experience huge austerity cuts that may prove explosive. On Friday Mariano Rajoy, the prime minister, is set to announce what even he describes as a "very, very austere budget" to reducethe deficit.
As a result of this and recent changes to labour laws, only four months after the new conservative government took power, Spain's two largest unions have called for a general strike on the day before the budget announcement.
On top of €15bn cuts already announced in December, it is estimated Rajoy will cut about another €40bn. Many are expecting drastic cuts to health andeducation, not least the financial markets, who are waiting to see whether Rajoy will deliver what they require. This is on top of existing cuts to social spending, wage freezes for public employees, and privatisations, in a context where 40 home evictions a day are taking place across the country.
Polls suggest 30% of employed adults say they will participate, but this figure hides the true size of whatthe indignados movement is calling the "invisible" strike. With the highest unemployment rate in the developed world – 23% are out of work and 49.9% of those under 30 – there is a vast, invisible precariat of students, temp workers, the unpaid, immigrants and older people, looking for ways to meaningfully participate in and expand the political possibilities of the general strike.

Spain'sgeneral strike is also a day of action for the 99%
Polls say only 30% of the employed will take part on Friday, but it will also be what the Occupy movement calls an 'invisible' strike
Spain is about to experience huge austerity cuts that may prove explosive. On Friday Mariano Rajoy, the prime minister, is set to announce what even he describes as a "very, very austere budget" to reduce the deficit.As a result of this and recent changes to labour laws, only four months after the new conservative government took power, Spain's two largest unions have called for a general strike on the day before the budget announcement.
On top of €15bn cuts already announced in December, it is estimated Rajoy will cut about another €40bn. Many are expecting drastic cuts to health and education, not leastthe financial markets, who are waiting to see whether Rajoy will deliver what they require. This is on top of existing cuts to social spending, wage freezes for public employees, and privatisations, in a context where 40 home evictions a day are taking place across the country.
Polls suggest 30% of employed adults say they will participate, but this figure hides the true size of what theindignados movement is calling the "invisible" strike. With the highest unemployment rate in the developed world – 23% are out of work and 49.9% of those under 30 – there is a vast, invisible precariat of students, temp workers, the unpaid, immigrants and older people, looking for ways to meaningfully participate in and expand the political possibilities of the general strike.

Spain's general strike isalso a day of action for the 99%
Polls say only 30% of the employed will take part on Friday, but it will also be what the Occupy movement calls an 'invisible' strike
Spain is about to experience huge austerity cuts that may prove explosive. On Friday Mariano Rajoy, the prime minister, is set to announce what even he describes as a "very, very austere budget" to reduce the deficit.
As aresult of this and recent changes to labour laws, only four months after the new conservative government took power, Spain's two largest unions have called for a general strike on the day before the budget announcement.
On top of €15bn cuts already announced in December, it is estimated Rajoy will cut about another €40bn. Many are expecting drastic cuts to health and education, not least the...