More strikes seize Europe

In a sign of growing labour unrest on the continent, unions in Greece, Belgium, and Spain have taken to the streets.

Today Spain is in the grips of its first nation-wide strike in eight years, and tens of thousands of workers have walked off the job in Greece and Belgium. Unions are angry at the austerity measures their governments have enacted in order to reduce their national debts in the wake of the global recession. Countries across Europe have increased taxes, slashed salaries, and raised the retirement age, and workers say they’re bearing the brunt of reckless speculation in the financial markets. In Athens transit workers shut down the metro system at noon. Organizers were hoping for 100,000 to attend demonstrations in Brussels today, and picketers blocked trucks from delivering produce to markets in Madrid.