Spain Approves Port Reform Proposal

Spain's lower house of parliament narrowly passed a long-delayed reform of port operations on Thursday, bringing regulation closer to that of the European Union though the overhaul has been slammed by unions which have threatened widespread strikes.

The decree, which was rejected the first time it was given to legislators in March, aims to liberalise hiring in a sector strictly controlled by the unions and comes after months of fines by the EU for not adhering to European regulation.