News

On 29th September 2010 the main trade unions in Spain , CCOO and UGT , called a general strike to express their opposition to the austerity measures taken by the Government and their proposals to reduce the rights of workers.

From early in the morning several hundred workers of the company AIRBUS EADS CASA , Getafe in Madrid ( Spain ) were concentrated at the entrance of the factory as part the General Strike. The presence at the factory gate of a large number of riot police units and their attitude towards the workers created a climate of tension. The police conduct led to several incidents including the use of riot weapons and at least seven shots were fired .

Following several incidents on the day the subsequent police report led to the arrest of the 8 defendents. The magistrate opened the trial  on 7 January this year, demanding  imprisonment of eight years and three months for each worker, ie a total of sixty-six years in prison is requested , along with bail of € 31.059.52

If  the that statement was not surprising and shocking enough ,  the prosecution  then proposed that the same penalty should apply for each defendant without identifying theindividual behavior of each of the defendants. This represents a  clear breach of legal process that should not be allowed in a democratic state, bringing back memories of the Franco dictatorship.

Given these clear breaches and irregularities revealed in the whole process the Spanish Trade Unions are demanding that the prosecution withdraw charges against the eight workers from EADS CASA Airbus in Getafe ( Madrid) and to make it clear that the Government should not criminalize the exercise of the right to strike and freedom of association.

Please sign the petition attached