Spanish opposition blocks dockers reform in blow to government

 

Spanish opposition parties voted down a government decree aimed at reforming restrictive labour practices at the country's ports, marking a setback for Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy as he tries to find allies in a fractured parliament.

Rajoy was re-instated for a second term last October but with the smallest parliamentary minority in Spain's modern history, forcing him to seek support from rivals every time he wants to pass legislation.

His cabinet passed the draft ports law in February, after Spain raked up some 21 million euros ($22.5 million) in European Union fines since 2014 for failing to crack down on closed-shop hiring among dockers.

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