Ministerial changes follow Spanish strike

The general strike in Spain on 20 June, which was widely supported, has already had a political impact. Less than three weeks after the action, prime minister Jose Maria Aznar made the biggest changes to his cabinet since coming to power in what was widely seen as a response to a growing crisis in his government. One of the main casualties was the minister of labour Juan Carlos Aparicio. His replacement Eduardo Zaplana has promised to "promote social dialogue" with the unions and employers but has indicated that he will not withdraw the changes on dismissals and unemployment benefit which were the cause of the strike. The unions plan to keep up the pressure and are aiming for a massive demonstration in Madrid on 21 September.