Tension rise in Spain general strike

ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION)

Scuffles broke out between protesters and police as workers from Spain's largest unions launch a general strike on Thursday (March 29), against unpopular austerity measures.

Around 100 picketers gathered early Thursday morning in front of the Fuencarral bus depot to protest labour reforms planned by the ruling People Party.

As the first bus departed from the depot, some protesters blocked the road. Tensions rose as riot police wrestled some picketers to the ground.

Transport and other public services are expected to be disrupted across the nation of 47 million on Thursday, as workers show their opposition to job losses and spending cuts.

The labour reforms will make it cheaper to fire workers and more difficult to implement inflation-linked salary hikes. The measures will also cap severance pay and will limit collective bargaining agreements.

The unions, which represent one in five Spanish workers, and the government agreed to retain minimum transport services for Thursday, including only 20 percent of flights between Spanish and other European airports.

Subway trains will operate at 35 percent of normal during peak hours, and 30 percent during non-peak hours.

Buses in Madrid warned of delays and disruptions across all services

A recent poll found that 67 percent of Spaniards believe a general strike will not help, and may make the situation worse.

Investors are worried the debt crisis that started in Greece could spread to much larger economies in the euro zone, particularly Spain and Italy.