E Merner News

Andalucia has suffered some of the worst weather for many many years.Storms and flooding have devastated the strawberry and olive crops .The authorities in Huelva (Andalucia) have estimated the loss of revenue as in the region of 77 million euros.

Esperanza Cortes ,who is the councillor for Agriculture in the province has visited the areas most affected by the high winds and heavy rainfalls and concluded that there was no chance of any recovery,the damage was beyond repair.

Cordoba was also hit badly with the Farmer´s Union ASAJA saying that their crops had suffered  damages amounting to 250 million euros.The government has now set up a working group to investigate the problems and report back to the government on what action might be taken.

The Spanish deputy prime Minister Maria Theresa Fernandez de la vega does have a pension plan but the prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero it seems does not.

This information has come about because of the debate going on about retirement ages and pensions.The large  family businesses in Spain who make up the Institute of Family Businesses ( IEF) have given their views on the issues and they say that people should be retiring at the age of 70.

They also say that the current system is totally unsatisfactory and that the whole system needs to be reformed.They feel that this is not party political and that there should be a consensus of all the political groups.They also state that the whole of the working life should be taken into account when a pension is calculated and not just the last 15 years.

The Spanish press has now revealed details of the pension outcomes of various politicians and the Minister of Employment is advocating that everyone follows his pattern and takes out a private  plan.Many say that they do not need private plans as they have been paying into the state system from their early twenties.

The parents of children at the Gloria Fuertes Primary School in San Miguel de Salinas have denounced the Valencia Education Department after students in a Year 5 class have had to have a constant stream of supply teachers in only a few weeks.

In Spain it is the Education Department which organises supply staff whereas in the Uk the school arranges its own and has a trusted band of qualified staff to fill in when staff are ill.The denuncia concerns the delay in getting another permanent member of staff for the school.

This particular class has endured two long term leave of absence since returning to school after the Christmas holiday.The Association of Mothers and Fathers ,which is the equivalent of the PTA,are seeking some stability for their children.However there are rules to follow with regard to sick teachers.All that they are asking for is that someone stays with their children until the usual teacher returns.if that teacher is not going to return then a full time replacement must be found.

A Spanish initiative to declare June27 as the “Day for the Victims of terrorism” has been approved  by Congress and new laws concerning victims are expected in Spain in the not too distant future.The need for the new law has come about since it was discovered that an Ecuadorian woman ,who was not on a train when it was bombed in Madrid,she received Spanish nationality,public housing,several thousand euros and a medal,fraudulently.Her case is to be brought before the Attorney general via the Ministry of the Interior.

The sixth anniversary of the Madrid bombings  ,where 192 people lost their lives and over 2000 people were injured at the hands of Islamic extremists,has just taken place.The PP leader in madrid,Esperanza Aguirre laid a wreath in the Puerta del Sol,accompanied by victims´ association representitives.At the City hall councillors also laid flowers.

In Congress the declaration of Human Rights was read and King juan carlos met with the victims at the Zarzuela Palace in the evening.

On the 30th March a BBC programme will show a programme highlighting the Spanish illegal housing controversy.This documentary has a team which visited the Costa Blanca after they had researched the situation fully.They met with various associations and action groups that have been campaigning  for a solution to the issues.Spanish land legislation is the key to the problem and this is what they want to expose to prospective house buyers.

Part of the programme will focus on Lliber in the jalon Valley where 300 houseshave the sword of Damocles hanging over their homes. The situation in Lliber is currently the subject of a criminal investigation.However the BBC team met with residents ,lawyers and builders in an attempt to understand just what has happened in this village.

The team has also visited the south of Spain where illegal homes have actually been demolished .These expats who have purchased properties in good faith ,only to discover themselves victims of a system which they feel has let them down.People viewing this programme in the UK may think twice about purchasing a house in Spain after watching this documentary.