CADIZ, Spain, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Spanish police on Tuesday fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse thousands of striking workers of state-owned shipbuilder Izar who had hurled stones and blocked a bridge with burning tyres. The protesters blocked a main road and a bridge near the southern city of Cadiz for about three hours as part of a strike to demand a pay rise. "About 3,000 workers were using the roadblocks as a way to draw attention to their protest and their plight. The police were trying to stop them and there were violent clashes," said Ramon Diaz, head of the main metalworkers' union of Andalusia. Protesters wearing masks and hard hats built a series of roadblocks where they burnt tyres and wood. They used slingshots to aim stones at police in riot gear and armoured vehicles. No one at Cadiz police or at national police headquarters in Madrid was available for comment. Diaz, whose organisation belongs to the UGT, one of Spain's big two labour unions, said about 40 protesters suffered light injuries in the clashes, but he gave no further details. Miguel Angel Martinez, a spokesman for Izar, said negotiations between the company and its staff over a new collective work contract had stalled over the worker's demand for a 6.8 percent pay rise. "We're calling for dialogue to resume. Violent demonstrations are not the answer. We have proposed resuming talks through a mediator," said Martinez. He said seven out of Izar's 11 production centres were affected by the strike, and 50 to 60 percent of the company's total workforce of 11,000 were taking part. Diaz said almost all Izar workers were on strike, and they were joined by many employees of the shipbuilder's sub-contractors. The protest would continue on Wednesday, he said. Izar, which builds both civil and military vessels, is Spain's only major shipbuilder. It delivered 11 ships last year, reducing its losses to 30 million euros from 120 million euros in 2002.
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