Spanish trade unions must change with the times if they are to offer a coherent voice against austerity policies.

What role should trade unions play in opposing austerity policies? Angie Gago writes on the pressures facing Spanish trade unions since the start of the economic crisis. She notes that trade unions were already in a state of decline prior to 2008, and that many of the individuals worst hit by the crisis, such as young people and the unemployed, are not part of a trade union. These pressures necessitate that Spanish trade unions adapt and find new ways of mobilisation if they are to offer an effective voice against austerity.