SERVICES SECTOR WORST HIT BY UNEMPLOYMENTThe CC.OO union claims that the Serranía de Ronda area has suffered an overall 22 per cent rise in unemployment in the past year. The service sector including hotels and restaurants has been hardest hit with a 30 per cent leap followed by construction with 28.6 per cent then industry with 21.8 per cent.
In the region the jobless total has increased by 1,147 which translates to an rise of 22.27 per cent. Surprisingly the one area that has escaped the major jump in unemployment is the agriculture sector where only 31 less people are in work.
On Monday the CC.OO general secretary in Málaga, Antonio Herrera, held a meeting in Ronda with union members from the Serranía where the figures were announced. The union is demanding more action to fend off the crisis with credits to needy families and investment in new technologies.
The union also criticised businesses for not honouring its agreements with employees. Herrera said that in 50 per cent of cases there were irregularities in the conditions that bosses had agreed with their employees. This has benefited business owners to the tune of 250 million euros in Málaga province alone.
The CC.OO wants to see government intervention to stop the speculation in the property market that it believes was largely responsible for the employment crisis. Herrera said there were over 60,000 unsold homes in Málaga province yet the deficit in social VPO housing stands at 132,000.
COSTA DEL SOL RESERVOIR SET FOR GAUCIN - JIMENAThe regional government and its Andalucía water agency seem intent on proceeding with the project to build a reservoir on the Gibralmedina to meet the water needs of the Costa del Sol.
The stream flows through the zone known as the “arroyo de las gallinas” in Jimena. The rural lane meets the Guadiaro river in Jimena although half the valley zone is in Gaucín.
In January we broke the news that the water agency was undertaking drillings in the valley. At the time the local residents spoken to voiced their strong opposition to the area being turned in to a giant reservoir as many people would loose both their lands and homes. Indeed many refused to allow the surveyors and drilling equipment on to their land.
Curiously the initial report from the regional government says the residents fully support the project. However local resident Dominic Bolus said: “They have not yet contacted anybody. The whole valley will be up in arms against it and we will fight it.”
The reservoir would have a capacity of at least 100 cubic hectometres. This is said to be sufficient water to meet the needs of the western Costa del Sol and the Campo de Gibraltar.
Agaden spokesperson, Quico Rebolledo, has condemned the project as “an authentic barbarity” and it is known that a protest campaign is to be started. The IU co-ordinator general in Jimena, Francisco Gómez, said his party was in contact with Agaden and would back its efforts. He added that talks were being held with the Andalucía MP for Cádiz, Ignacio García, to discover just what the regional government is intending.
The IU’s MP for Málaga and the co-ordinator of the party in the province, José Antonio Castro, accused the water agency and regional government of following an “incoherent” policy. He stated that in the Ley de Agua de Andalucía the policy is not to build giant dams of this type. In last week’s parliamentary debate on the law he expressed his party’s opposition to the Gibralmedina project saying the dam would break the natural cycle of the river in a natural zone where it is so important.
TRACTOR PROTEST
Over 100 tractors brought Ronda to a halt on Friday as farmers from the entire Serranía converged on the town. It was part of a national protest that culminated in Madrid on the Saturday. Crop and cattle farmers are angry that the prices they receive for their produce is less than their costs. They say if this situation continues they will be ruined.
ZAPATERO TWO
Under the second Zapatero plan to battle the effects of the economic crisis the Serranía de Ronda will receive 6.6 million euros in funding. The money is to be spent on projects starting on January 1 with almost four million euros of the total going to Ronda and 15,800 euros to Arriate. The projects are related to creating a sustainable environment and social innovation.
HOSPITAL SAFE
In its budgets for 2010 the regional government has allocated 50 million euros to the Serranía de Ronda. The good news is that funding has been guaranteed for the continuing works on the construction of the new hospital for Ronda and the region. The Partido Popular is angry that no money has been allocated to the much trumpeted motorway between Ronda and the coast.
THIEVES NABBED
Ronda’s National and local police combined forces to nab two habitual criminals who forced entry to 23 businesses in the centre of the town in recent weeks making off with 23,000 euros. The 39 and 33 year-old will appear in court along with many of the items they stole. It is reported they acted very quickly only taking two minutes to gain entry.
BUS FRAUD
PP spokesperson at Ronda town hall, Maripaz Fernández, has called for an enquiry into a possible school bus fraud. For three years parents of students living in the San Rafael area attending the first and second year at the Martín Rivero school have paid 100 euros per year for the bus but the service has been supplied for free by the regional government.
ROAD DEATH
A 27-year-old man died on Saturday when his vehicle left the A-374 in Algonadales on the road that links the town with Ronda. The tragedy happened at 13.00 at km 26.5. The fire brigade, Guardia Civil and local police attended the scene. Whilst the man was removed from the wreck alive he died whilst in the ambulance on the way to Ronda hospital.
