Mass Protests Against Public Sector Cuts in Spain

Thousands of people took to the streets in central Madrid on Tuesday responding to calls from Spain's main labour unions to protest against cuts in the public sector.

[Diego, Protester]:
"I am here to defend the public services they are trying to take away from us because of the crisis and I don't know what. But you know without health and education we won't go anywhere."
             
A workers union media report says the Fiscal Measure Law which increases the working week to 37.5 hours, will mean the loss of 11,000 jobs.

Unions say this will result in 5000 jobs being cut in the health sector, 3000 in education and 3000 in other sectors.

Some protesters say the economic crisis is being used as an excuse for making cuts and privatising services.

[Luis Prieto, Demonstrator]:            
"I am here to denounce the privatisation of water, of everything. Instead of paying for water, we will pay for oil."
             
Regional governments in Spain are under pressure to put their accounts in order after years of over spending.
             
The new government led by Mariano Rajoy, is determined to meet tough budget deficit reduction targets, while reforming a broken labour market and pulling the country out of a prolonged slump.
             
The new government says the public deficit for 2011 would come in at 8 percent of gross domestic product.

That's well above a target of 6 percent.

The government's response is new income and property tax hikes and a civil servant wage freeze.