The World - News from April 16, 1987

Spain’s public transport workers went on strike, disrupting Easter Week travel for an estimated half a million people, according to labor and management officials. The 24-hour strike by employees of the two state-run airlines, Iberia and Aviaco, and the national railway forced cancellation of more than 400 flights and 100 trains. The state-run Mediterranea shipping and ferry company said 11 of its 26 daily ferries linking the Balearic and Canary islands to mainland Spain also were affected. It was the third time in a month that transport workers have gone on strike. The Socialist government of Prime Minister Felipe Gonzalez has set a 5% ceiling for wage hikes, but the unions are demanding 7% to 8%.