Can I bargain with the Mayor?

Madrid’s street sweepers and public park and garden workers have begun an indefinite strike. Around 6,000 employees have joined the walk-out after private companies, contracted by Madrid’s city hall planned to slash salaries by up to 40 percent and lay off more than 1,100 people. Angel Jornosa, one of the workers whose job is under threat said: “They are going to kick us out with a shameful severance pay. There are people who have worked 28, 30 years.” City hall worker, Guillermo added: “We think it’s enough, this has to end once and for all. Health, education, the city, public services in general have all gone to hell.” Unions are calling on the city council – run by ex Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar’s wife Ana Botella – to intervene and stop the job cuts. LiveLeak.com - Spain: six thousand rubbish collectors go on strike in Madrid Elsewhere there was more news of job losses. The Valencian Government closed down public television and radio broadcaster RTVV. The compan

  NEW INFORMATION LAW IN SPAIN RESTRICTS PUBLIC ACCESS TO INFORMATION. I express disappointment that an information law that Spanish parliament passed yesterday will in fact restrict the public’s access to information. This law will unnecessarily obstruct journalists from carrying out their role as watchdogs in front of  the executive authorities and it does not meet international standards. Denial of access to government information is one of the most common ways to stifle media freedom. If adopted, the proposed law will result in authorities’ tighter control of information. I would like the members of the Senate to consider this when voting on the law.  

Uf, what pitty

Today, in London, July 22th of 2013, thousands of Britons broke into song and dance outside the palace gates. Officials announced that the future king was born at 4:24 p.m., weighing 3.75 kilograms, at central London's St. Mary's Hospital. He was the Prince William and Kate Middleton’s son. The royal tradition keep a terse statement that announced only the time of birth, the infant's gender and that mother and child were doing well. It gave no information about the baby's name. "Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well and will remain in hospital overnight," it said. William also issued a brief statement, saying "we could not be happier." Kingdom’s press aides had talked about preserving Kate Middleton's "dignity" throughout the pregnancy. The way the birth was handled showed that the palace's impressive stagecraft could give the royals a bubble of privacy even in the age of Twitter and 24-hour news bro

A British national resident in Spain has been caught stealing several bottles of Russian Vodka. Spanish authorities are planning to issue an expulsion decision against him. He cannot be expelled as his behavior does not represent a serious and genuine threat to Spanish society. This example means a big problem. In fact, in USA, there is a crime prevention organization, NASP. It provides programs and technical support for retail theft with its primary focus on petty theft or non-professional consumer shoplifting - a crime generally defined as stealing merchandise from a retail store with the intent to deprive the owner of that property Facts: More than $13 billion worth of goods are stolen from retailers each year. That's more than $35 million per day. There are approximately 27 million shoplifters (or 1 in 11 people) in our nation today. More than 10 million people have been caught shoplifting in the last five years. Shoplifting affects more than the off

In Spain, many people want to start a small business. The reason is absolutely simple. There are unemployed. Theirs firm recently closed down because the rent is too high in industry zone. No one can work with these prices. The entrepreneur also lost a great amount of money and owing debt at the moment. Then, the men who want work decide to improve. They look for a business with low investment. They need to know what is legal frame or regulation in Spain. They are also confused licensing and permit.   But the problems are very difficult. The regulations in Madrid are different than Barcelona, Bilbao. If they work well in Madrid, it probably doesn’t work well in Barcelona because the rules are different. When this entrepreneur will arrive in Catalogne, it will be hard to find the information. I have to visit many offices. They will be very rude but the civil servants have to answer all questions. When he finishes this information’s tour, he must work in two languages, Catalan and S

In Spain, in many cities, women, adults and people with a disability still have a lot to worry about when it comes to their personal safety. The local authorities and city management have a crucial role to play in the prevention of violence against them, both in public and private spaces, whether it be harassment or attacks outside the home, or domestic abuse behind closed doors. Local authorities can improve the city’s physical environment- for example, through better street lighting, building better alternatives to dark and secluded walkways, or even positioning bus stops in safer areas. Effective interventions often promote consultation and participation from themselves. Local governments can also make cities safer by mainstreaming gender in their crime prevention policies and programmes, especially through sensitisation campaigns, training and development of services for people affected by violence. These programmes have a role in changing attitudes and behaviour that

The original idea behind town twinning was to help the people of Europe to know and understand each other better. A twinning link is normally defined as a friendship agreement involving co-operation between two communities in different countries.   Twinning provides the opportunity to find out more about the daily lives of citizens in other European countries, to talk to them and exchange experiences, and to develop joint projects on issues of common interest, such as local integration, the environment, economic development, and cultural differences. The Town twinning movement has developed after the Second World War, in parallel to the progress made by the European integration process. One of the major developments was the establishment of new town twinning links between EU Member States and countries from Central or Eastern Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall, anticipating and preparing their integration in the European Union.   First, town twinning relies upon the vol

I dedicate this blog for my friends who always motivate me.