Transport workers gave broad support to a general strike to protest harsh cuts intended to reduce Spain's budget deficit, and few buses or trains were in operation in Madrid early on Wednesday morning.
The first general strike in eight years will be a test for Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's Socialist government, though with polls showing only 9% of workers will definitely turn out it will not shake his austerity plans.
Zapatero was forced to impose spending cuts after investors punished Spanish borrowing costs earlier this year over fears the country could be heading for a debt crisis that would trigger a Greek-style bailout.
"Not one bus has left the station," said a Reuters photographer at one of the main bus depots in Madrid.
At Madrid's main Atocha train station, all main line trains had been cancelled with one exception, although suburban and underground trains were running almost normally.
Unions said industrial and cleaning workers gave strong support overnight after the strike began at midnight.
"There was wide support (for the strike) on night shifts in the Madrid region," unions Comisiones Obreras and Union General de Trabajadores said in a joint statement.
Electricity demand was almost one fifth lower than it normally would be in the morning, according to grid operator REE.
Spaniards will face transport disruptions throughout the day although most places have a minimum transport services agreement at least during rush hour. Aviation officials said 20-40% of international flights would go ahead.
NEWSPAPERS
Even if they do manage to board an infrequent and packed bus or train, Spaniards might not have too much to read. Newspaper workers walked out a day early on Tuesday so they could return to provide coverage of the strike.
Unions, which represent 16% of workers in the country, say the government will be forced to reverse some of its austerity plans that include wage cuts for civil servants, pension freezes and job reform laws.
But analysts believe a U-turn on the the government's plans to meet European Union deficit targets is unlikely, while many Spaniards believe striking is not the best form of protest in a country where 20% are unemployed.
"The strike will not do anything at all to remedy Spain's economic situation and will also worsen our image abroad even more," said Camilo Abietar, chairman of the Organisation of Professionals and Self-Employed Workers.
"The economy improves when employment is created, not when obstacles are put to work," said Abietar, whose organisation represents more than 195,300 self-employed workers.
The strike in Spain coincides with union action in Brussels, Athens and other European cities as austerity measures bite across the continent.
On Tuesday, Spanish stocks closed down by 0.21% ahead of the strike, while the key spread of 10-year government debt to euro zone bunds was around 195 basis points, about 60 higher than where it was in mid-July.
Spain's main unions say the strike will draw more than the 2.5-3 mln workers who went on strike in France earlier this month.
It has also attracted the attention of artists across the country, with top film director Pedro Almodovar due to stop shooting his latest movie in protest at the government's cuts.
But it is doubtful it will do much to influence the government, which is due to present full details of its 2011 budget on Thursday.
