Spanish workers demand higher wages to ease inflation pinch

MADRID (AP) — Thousands of workers have rallied in Madrid in a protest called by Spain’s labor unions to demand higher wages to offset the higher cost of living. People marched through Spain’s capital on Thursday under the slogan “Salary or Conflict.” The unions want Spain’s government and business leaders to increase the minimum salary above the current 1,000 euros ($987) a month. The leader of Spain’s business owners association says that there could be wage hikes as long as they aren’t directly indexed to inflation. Inflation in Spain peaked this summer at 10.8% in July and moderately slowed to 7.3% in October.