It was an historic moment: Spain's Parliament voted down a government decree that aims to dismantle the dock working sector. The European Commission has demanded Spain "liberalize" the sector, opening it to competition, but the government's response to the EC directive entailed far more draconian measures, eliminating jobs and labor rights within three years. The Dock Workers have said they will comply with the EC directive, but rejected the decree. The government has shied from negotiations but now must join the port businesses and the workers at the table. Today's program includes part of a conversation about this important labor dispute, in its historical context, with Professor Mónica Clua-Losada (University of Texas Rio Grande Valley). You can hear the rest of this conversation tomorrow.
