Spain's minority Socialist government tried to secure support for a labour reform package in talks with other political parties on Tuesday as it battled speculation that Madrid may need a Greek-style bailout, Reuters reported. The government hopes that easier and cheaper hire-and-fire laws, seen as essential to restore economic competitiviness, will be issued as a decree by the cabinet on Wednesday and then voted on in parliament on June 22. Spain is implementing several economic programmes at the same time to boost sluggish growth and rein in a burgeoning budget deficit while bond markets fret about contagion in the euro zone following a bail-out for debt-laden Greece. Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, trailing in opinion polls, needs the support of key regional parties to pass the labour reform. A 15 billion euro ($20.13 billion) austerity plan scraped through parliament by a single vote in May. -- SPA
