General strike postponed until October 18

The two trade unions that called a general strike for October 11, to coincide with the expected announcement of the verdict of the 2017 referendum leaders, have postponed the stoppage until Friday October 18. While it is possible that the Spanish Supreme Court judges could make public their decision on the fate of the political prisoners by this Friday, there is also a strong possibility that they will not do so until the following Monday, October 14.

The CSC-Intersindical and Intersindical Alternativa de Catalunya trade unions say the reason for the strike is that their long-standing demands have not yet been met, including a higher minimum wage and equality-promoting measures. While neither trade union made any explicit mention of the Supreme Court verdict – the law prohibits unions from calling strikes for political reasons – they say they are committed to Catalonia’s national rights, which they also believe affect labor rights.

The new date for the stoppage will also coincide more closely with a number of protest actions and demonstrations being prepared by other sectors of Catalan society to express outrage should the leaders be found guilty.