Spanish metalworkers call off strike after pay rise deal

MADRID (AP) — Metalworkers in the southern Spanish province of Cadiz are returning to work after trade unions reached a pay agreement with employers. The agreement was approved by workers in a ballot Thursday. The open-ended strike began Nov. 16, with street protests at times turning violent as riot police clashed with strikers and their supporters. Workers demanded a pay rise in line with the surging inflation rate, which in October stood at 5.5%. Now, they agreed to a three year increase of 2% plus a plus a formula that partially adjusts for inflation if it continues rising in the future.