Spanish Coal Miners March Into Madrid For Protests

Spanish coal miners have marched into Madrid to stage demonstrations against huge cuts in government subsidies for their industry.

The miners walked nearly three weeks under a blazing sun from the pits where they earn a living to reach the Spanish capital’s most emblematic square, the Puerta del Sol.

It was on the same square where tens of thousands of demonstrators defied government ban and camped out last year to protest against austerity cuts triggered by European financial crisis.

Miners and their supporters, travelling to Madrid aboard chartered buses, are scheduled to hold a massive rally on Wednesday.

The miners are unhappy with a 63 percent cut in subsidies to coal mining companies, major contributors to the Spanish energy market.

The average monthly salary of a coal miner stands at $1,200. Today there are 8,000-9,000 coal miners in Spain, whereas 20 years ago there were nearly 30,000 in Asturias alone.

Spain’s economy shrank by 0.3 percent in the first quarter of the year as the country fell back into recession for the first time in three years.

The government expects the economy to contract by 1.7 percent in 2012, but many analysts have warned that tough austerity measures could worsen the slump.

Presstv