Spanish set to become worlds next slave labour workers

Spain still struggles through 26% unemployment yet the opportunity of work isn't necessarily the answer for many. As Spanish president, Mariano Rajoy, talks the big talk of how his political party has technically taken Spain out of recession, the reality is a life of poverty and a future of debts for Spain's 45 million inhabitants.

For some time now, Spain's business owners have been using the threat of unemployment to strike fear into their employees and abuse them by means of offering illegal working conditions. You'd think that today in 2014, a country like Spain which claims to be modern and is part of the European Union, discriminatory and illegal job offers and contracts would be a thing of the past however, a quick look through online classifieds proves the opposite.
Job offers abound the internet classifieds with offers for "good looking girls with nice figures", "under 30's only", "room & food in exchange for full time hours" are just a few examples of what to expect in a search for employment.
Employer exploitation has staff working excessive and illegal hours for free through fear of losing their jobs due to the governments new measures that allows employers to fire staff with little or no reason at the drop of a sombrero.
In any other modern country of Europe, action would be taken against these oppressive working conditions yet here in Spain they  have now become the norm with free reign for employers to do whatever they want with no means of reprisal. The government set minimum wage for each work category seems to have been completely ignored with waiters being offered less than basic wages, working more than full time hours for part time salary.
One would think this would be limited to the private sector only yet official government bodies and town hall placements also fall foul to indiscriminate working practices.
If you were to phone 060 Madrid, emergencias sanitarias, on a regular basis, you may think everyone has the same voice but the reality is....it's a severely understaffed platform that frequently only has one person there to answer all calls, day or night, putting lives at risk of the 6 million inhabitants of Spain's capital.

New data from EPA (Encuesta de Población Activa - Labour Force Survey) shows 5 933 300 out of work which puts unemployment at 25.93%.
As Mariano Rajoy enjoys being chauffeured around in his 350 000 Euro Audi, the real workers of Spain continue to live in poverty with no hope of release from current life in Spain.

Animal cruelty acceptable in Spain for archaic member of PP, Esperanza Aguirre.

Being anti-bullfighting is to be anti-Spanish, because it means giving up "the very essence of our being Spanish." were the words of  Esperanza Aguirre against those who defend animal rights and want an end to bullfighting.

These were the words of the archaic minister of Spain's governing party, Esperanza Aguirre during a bull fighting festival in Sevilla this week. A group of animal rights protestors had turned up to show their indignation towards Spain's animal cruelty in bullfighting in which spears are lanced into a bull in an enclosed area prior to it being tortured then slain in front of crowds of cheering sadists.
In a country like Spain that has more Michelin star restaurants than many other western European countries, Esperanza Aguirre would prefer for Spain to be recognized for this blood bath more than it's diet, quality of life or it's move towards more modern civilized countries.
Esperanza Aguirre prefered talk up the barbarity of a Spanish tradition of animal cruelty and in saying so, anyone who wants to stop it is not doing it in the interests of the animals but purely in the interests of being anti-Spain.

 The Cataluña region of Spain however, banned this barbarity several years ago. A ban on bullfighting in Cataluña was approved by the Catalan Parliament on 28 July 2010, following a petition organised by the PROU platform. The ban came into force on 1 January 2012. Bullfights by matadors were banned in Cataluña at the end 2011 but bull-dodging, in which bulls are not killed, remains lawful.
Meanwhile, Spain forbids animal cruelty in the form of jail sentencing yet rewards bull fighters with medals.

Get out of jail free for criminals in Spain

This Easter term saw 21 criminals "pardoned" in Spain.
Through a proposal from the Minister of Justice, Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón, another 19 sentenced criminals were granted their freedom bringing this months total to 21 "Pardons" given out in Spain whilst under the rule of Spain's governing party, Partido Popular, including the manager of a bank branch of Santander in Esguevilla, who stole 30,000 euros from a client.

"This government has not granted a single pardon in cases of corruption. Moreover, while I am Minister of Justice, I will not do it." were the words of Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón. These words however, have been proved to be false.
Since November 2011, there are eight cases in which the current Justice Department has granted "Pardons" for offenses of corruption.
This brings the total of "Pardons" given out under Spain's President, Mariano Rajoy, to 798, 60 of which were given out in the last four months of this year. Meanwhile, an impoverished mother who found a credit card on the floor and used it to buy food for her starving children was sentenced and condemned to prison.
This clearly shows a justice system that favors the criminally rich yet condemns the poor.

Bankia robbery, charges brought against former chairman & 31 ex directors of failed Spanish banking conglomerate.

Political party 'Izquierda Unida' announced today the filing of  a lawsuit against 31 ex directors of Bankia and former chairman, Rodrigo Rato.
The failed bank was formed in December 2010 by merging 7 banks, (Caja Madrid, Bancaja, La Caja de Canarias, Caja de Ávila, Caixa Laietana, Caja Segovia & Caja Rioja) under the leadership of Rodrigo Rato but later needed a massive public bailout of around 24 billion Euros after it's collapse in 2012.
The lawsuit filed is for fraud in the merger and flotation into the stock market and for the fraudulent way it sold "preference" shares to try and hide its insolvency.

 The "preference" shares were misguidedly sold to customers with the promise of low risk, high reward returns. Shares were sold to, amongst others, a 72 year old blind man who couldn't read or write and a man with Alzheimer's. Many others had been customers of the bank for many years and when told by the bank directors of this amazing deal they poured their life's savings into them in hope of securing their futures and the futures of their family's. Some of the victims have had some of their money returned after individual court cases but many of these have yet to receive the legal minimum amount ordered by the courts.
These shares were sold in order to recoup money into the failing bank to hide the fact that it was going into bankruptcy and when customers asked about their investments they were either snubbed by the bank directors or just blatantly told they'd lost everything.
With the collapse, the tax payers of Europe have been forced into rescuing the Bankia group to the tune of around 23 billion Euros.

Opposition party, PSOE, calls for the resignation of Spain's President Mariano Rajoy.

Following yesterdays declarations in front of Judge Ruz, Óscar López, Secretary of P.S.O.E says that the President's position is "insupportable" and that he should resign.
He has also ensured that his party "will not stay with folded arms" and that they will try to "clarify the whole truth" in Parliament, calling for a commission of inquiry and justice, to clarify the origin of the undeclared money of Bárcenas in Swiss bank accounts.
"in light of what is now known", the Socialist leader explained that PSOE will open "three options". First, in Congress, PSOE will request the reopening of  a commission of inquiry into the illegal financing of the PP, which until now was "parked it in a drawer".
"What has to happen before something is done within PP?" asks Óscar López.
The Partido Popular enjoys commenting upon and quoting other parts of Europe when they want to introduce new legislature but fail miserably in accepting other European policies when it come to admitting fault and  resignation.

Partido Popular used Illegal undeclared money during campaign elections.

• Bárcenas said that the PP paid part of their election campaigns 'always in undeclared money' 
• He insisted that Francisco Álvarez Cascos, ex General Secretary of Partido Popular, was perfectly aware of the political party's Caja B
• Bárcenas handed envelopes of money and cash in hand to Mariano Rajoy.
• Juan Cotino, President of the Valencian Parliament handed the party 300, 000 Euros

These are just some of the decelerations of Luis Bárcenas, ex treasurer of ruling government party, Partido Popular. Today saw Luis Bárcenas again go before the court of Judge Pablo Ruz regarding the undeclared 48 million Euros he had in a Swiss bank account and "Caja B", the undeclared slush funds of Spain's governing party, Partido Popular.

Luis Bárcenas who was imprisoned 27th June 2012 for tax evasion and fraud, also declared before the court today that both Mariano Rajoy, current President of Spain and José María Aznar, former President of Spain are aware of the "Caja B"
The slush funds in the Partido Popular allegedly came from cash payments & commissions (back handers) from, amongst others, construction companies.....which could explain the unnecessary massive constructions created in Spain over the last few years.
Luis Bárcenas also claims that these cash funds were available throughout all regions of Spain and were used for cash bonuses to members of PP and for electoral campaigns.
Judge Ruz also has grounds to believe that the reforms made to the political party's headquarters were made with money from "Caja B"

Mariano Rajoy has yet to comment on today's court dealings.

Death by Mossos d’Esquadra for businessman Juan Andrés Benítez?

The Court of Barcelona believes that the "excessive force" used by the Barcelona Mossos d’Esquadra police force killed businessman Juan Benítez and that "there are strong indications" that the employer Juan Andrés Benítez died "for the disproportionate and excessive action of the Catalan police officers involved in his arrest".

During the night of 6th October 2012, the Barcelona Police claimed they had to resort to force to reduce and stop a 'disturbed' Benítez, who was allegedly fighting with another neighbor. Neighbors in the street have contradicted this report from the beginning and their testimony, validated by the investigating judge, said that the disturbance between Benítez and the other neighbor was over when the police arrived. Their testimony also stated that the Mossos d’Esquadrathe who arrived, jumped on Juan Benitez, hitting, punching and kicking him, as seen in the video used by Spanish newspaper El País. Neighbours and witnesses also claim they were threatened and intimidated by the Mossos d’Esquadra who charged at them in what looked to be an attempt to rid themselves of witnesses to the crime.

The autopsy of Juan Benitez attributed his death to multiple trauma of the skull and facial region leading to heart failure. A judge today accused eight Mossos d'Esquadra in Barcelona for the death of Juan Andrés Álvarez Benítez whilst in police custody, which occurred the morning of Oct. 6 2012 in the Raval district of Barcelona. Specifically, the investigating judge charged the 8 Mossos d’Esquadra "for the alleged crime against life and / or the physical integrity, a crime against the person, as well as the crimes of obstruction of justice and coercion 'as read in the car that has issued.
This news comes only days after the Spanish actor Alfonso Bayard died at the hands of the Barcelona Police in another incident with a similar outcome. Alfonso Bayard suffered a cardiac arrest shortly after being arrested by the Mossos d'Esquadra in la plaza Molina, Barcelona.

According to initial reports, Alfonso Bayard was very excited. He was sat at the terrace of a cafe in Molina square for a long time without consuming anything and was irritating, annoying and shouting at customers and staff. At around 6:20pm, a waiter of the cafe called the regional police who arrived quickly at the scene. The police agents, Mossos d’Esquadra, found that the man pointed out to them by the owner of the cafe had a very altered attitude.The suspect refused to identify himself and went on to push a table towards the police at which point the police tried to handcuff him. The result was 6 Mossos d’Esquadra on top of him which arguably led to his premature death which begs the question, do the police have a technique or is it purely brute force?

Newly created law of universal justice by governing political party, Partido Popular, sets 8 drug traffickers free.

The judge of the National Audience , Fernando Andreu, today set free 8 drug traffickers stating that "the case does not meet the requirements of the new law of universal justice".

Judge Fernando Andreu was forced to release eight drug traffickers arrested in international waters off the coast of Almeria because the new law of universal justice left the case outside the scope of the Spanish justice system. Judge Fernando Andreu regrets that "with the new Spanish legislature we now have today, there no longer exists legal cover to maintain our jurisdiction" against these eight Egyptian sailors carrying nearly 10 tons of cannabis, which were on their way to Libya.

Following a warning from the French authorities, the alleged drug traffickers from Egypt were intercepted last March in a fishing boat with no flag by Spanish customs in the Alborán Sea, 30 miles from Algeria and 60 miles from Spain. 
The judge believes that the new legal reform made by Spain's governing party, Partido Popular, no longer covers the actions made by the Spanish authorities since the ship is not Spanish, nor the detainees and was not intercepted in Spanish waters, nor destined for our country. Following the legistrature of the newly reformed law, Judge Fernando Andreu was forced to file the case until it is known whether or not the new requirements are met, which involves agreeing  to the release of the Egyption sailors who were formely imprisoned. 

Cristóbal Montoro, Minister of finance, anounces new measures for 2014 which he himself applied in 2002

Cristóbal Montoro, Minister of Finance and Public Administration, opened today's debate talking of the creation of a new negative tax for women who after becoming mothers, return to work. A tax credit on income tax that was used in the legislature of former president, José María Aznar.  
Minutes later, his chief of communications, Ana Serrano, passed a note: "This measure has already been introduced by yourself in 2002". Montoro later rectified this ensuring that the announcement that was made ​​just "can not be helped."

Ignacio Cosidó, General Director of the police "we have to be cautious when we use violence as required by law,"

During an interview in El Objetivo on channel La Sexta last night, General Director of the police (Ignacio Cosidó) desperately and nervously tried to defend the actions of the police brutality towards the general public and journalists during manifestations & demonstrations in what seems to have become the norm over the last couple of years.

22nd of March of this year saw a record number of demonstrators,estimated 2 million, who were protesting over issues including unemployment, poverty and political corruption. For more than 2 weeks, many protesters had traveled from all parts of Spain, many of them making the journey on foot. Columns of protesters, each from different regions of Spain had arrived at the outskirts of the city early Saturday before heading for Colon square, carrying banners bearing the slogan "Marching for Dignity.".

 Even before the protest had a chance to get into full swing, the Guardia Civil had been ordered to the outskirts of Spains capital city, Madrid in an attempt to stop buses of people from arriving whilst 1700 riot police were already in the capital in preparation.

During the interview by Ana Pastor, Ignacio Cosidó was questioned about the activities of the police force in Spain regarding their actions during the protests of 22March & the subsequent protest of 29March in which the police were seen and recorded using indiscriminate and unlawful violence towards general members of the public and official photographers and journalists.

Whilst commenting on the violence from a minority of protestors towards the police and vice versa, Ignacio Cosidó, General Director of the police said, in what could arguably be considered a Freudian slip "we have to be cautious when we use violence as required by law, pardon, the force that the law gives us.".

During the protests of 22nd & 29th March 2014 in which one protestor lost the use of an eye and another lost a testicle, both caused by direct hits from rubber ammunition fired by the National Police, several journalists and photographers were physically assaulted, insulted, threatened and repeatedly attacked by members of Spain's Policia Nacional whilst trying to record the moments of the protest. 

All Ignacio Cosidó could do in "defense" was repeatedly comment on the number of police injured during the protests in what seemed an attempt at not answering the questions asked by Ana Pastor.

Esperanza Aguirre (President of the ruling party Partido Popular) hits Police traffic motorcycle then flees the scene.

Esperanza Aguirre, ex President of the Community of Madrid and current President of Spains' ruling party (Partido Popular) made the news this week after receiving a parking fine. This however, wasn't the news that made the headlines. Esperanza Aguirre was fined on the spot after illegally parking her car in the bus, taxi and motorcycle lane in Madrid's Gran Via and according to the Municipal Police at the scene, fled the scene before being handed the ticket and in the process knocked over a police motorbike which had been parked next to her car during the incident.

Esperanza Aguirre had left her car illegally parked in the bus and taxi lane in Madrid's ultra busy Gran Via road to use a cash machine. When the Municipal Police saw the event and offered the fine for her illegally parked car she showed her documents and identification only to flee the scene without accepting the parking fault. In the process she allegedly knocked over a police motorcycle.

Witnesses at the scene confirmed the police reports that she had refused to get back out from her car and that even after one officer placed both hands on the front of her car telling her to stop, she put her car in reverse, hit a police motorcycle and sped off from the scene.

Esperanza Aguirre allegedly drove home with the police giving chase, ignoring officers telling her to pull over and stop her vehicle and was finally caught up with by several Police officers outside her home. Once the Police caught up to her home address they were met with 2 Guardia Civil officers who she allegedly sent outside to deal with the situation.

According to police sources, the fine for the illegal parking only involved the payment of 200 euros, but the seriousness of the matter was the flee. "This is a clear disobedience to the authority and therefore will be reported, as would any other citizen." a police union spokesman added.

In a following phone interview with Jesús Cintora on Canal Cuatro TV, Aguirre said she was “just a minute at the cash machine” and that she gave the traffic wardens her identity documents at the scene. During a nervous telephone interview with Jesús Cintora in which she repeatedly hung up her phone, Esperanza Aguirre insisted that: “I’m not going to argue about the police report.  If you are interested in my version, I will give it to you”, and “what the local police says is false. ”. Esperanza Aguirre went on to slate the police claiming they're "Arrogant and sexist".

The original fine of €200 could now be substantially raised for other offences towards & against the police authority.
Commenting on the matter afterwards, Madrid Mayor Ana Botella said "The law is the same for everyone,"