It was called by the two main trade unions: CCOO and Unión General de Trabajadores (UGT).
[1][2][3] Triggered by a significant reform in the labour market, namely a new more flexible contract for inexperienced youngsters with less redundancy pay, the strike was moreover a manifestation of general discontent with Spain's PSOE government policies.
[1][2][3] The government's economic policies were thought to be too conservative by trade unions and many left-wing voters.
[2][3] However, the strike did not prevent a third absolute majority by PSOE,[1] whose leader, Felipe González, remained popular.
Others prefer to attribute public spending to the 1992 Olympic Games held in Barcelona, the 1992 world fair in Seville, plus the first high-speed train, for the large budget deficit.