Authoritarian Neoliberalism and the Disciplining of Labour in Spain

This paper focuses on the unfolding of authoritarian neoliberal practices against labour in Spain. It does so by identifying the key legal tools used by successive governments during the crisis designed to discipline labour. It will be argued that labour disciplining has been done in two different ways. On the one hand, through the use of anti-labour legislation which imposes limits and curtails labour’s ability to organise. On the other, through wage disciplining measures, where a reduction in standards of living and increasing lack of security of employment, overindebtedness and overall precariousness of life, labour organising becomes increasingly a challenge. However, and this paper will highlight this, labour’s obstinacy can be seen in the everyday political practices in Spain, the case of the 2015 telecommunications workers strike (Movistar) will be considered. In fact, the paper argues that the return to authoritarianism in Spain is not a signal of labour’s defeat, but rather the demonstration of the increasing weakness of the state due to its inability to build consent.