'Hundreds of thousands of Spaniards have taken to the streets to protest a labor law reform. The demonstrations organized by labor unions are paving the wave for a nation-wide strike planned for March 29.

­Workers are objecting to what they see as empowering employers at the expense of the employees under the pretext of an anti-crisis austerity policy. The protest hit some 60 cities and towns across Spain, with the largest reported in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville and Valencia.

The changes to labor legislation have been confirmed by the Spanish parliament Thursday. The reforms affect most worker entitlements, making the dismissal of employees simpler, reducing salaries, increasing working hours and other measures favoring employers.'

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