Spanish workers protest US-Venezuela conflict
- 18 January 2006
Workers of six plants property of European aeronautical trust EADS-CASA in Spain stopped working Monday for five minutes to protest a US ruling. Last week, the US Government issued a decision to prevent Spain from using US technology in the aircraft sold to Venezuela.
It was a peaceful strike in order to ask the society and authorities to take sides with the Spanish aeronautic industry and prevent labor-related damages for political reasons, trade union sources told Efe.
Sales to Venezuela, estimated at USD 2 billion will consolidate the companies in interest and stabilize employment, the sources added.
They failed to understand the veto on the use of US technological components to equip CN-235 and C-295 planes, as in 2004 the United States provided Venezuela with weaponry estimated at USD 24.6.
The US embassy to Madrid advised the Spanish authorities last Thursday that the US government had denied the clearance requested by EADS-CASA to transfer Venezuela US technology embedded in the aircraft.
Last November 28th, Spain and Venezuela executed an agreement to buy 12 planes from CASA and eight frigates built by state company Navantia, during a ceremony in Miraflores presidential palace attended by Presidente Hugo Chávez and Spanish Defense Minister José Bono.
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