Striking workers in Spain clash with police, seek pay hikes

CÁDIZ, Spain (AP) — Metalworkers are on strike for a second day in Spain’s southern city of Cádiz to demand a wage increase to cope with rising inflation in the country. Inflation has been driven higher by energy costs and stood at 5.5% last month. That’s the highest level in decades. Two police officers suffered minor injuries in clashes with strikers Wednesday. Strikers burned street barricades and cut roads. Police responded with rubber bullets. The Spanish government is urging an end to the violence and for negotiations to begin. Cádiz has historically been a blue-collar city where violence has erupted in the past.