Miners in northern Spain's Santa de Sil town have been on strike for almost two months against government's decision to slash a coal subsidy as part of its austerity programme.

Angry coal miners are now preparing to walk more than 400km to the capital Madrid to press their demands, as the government move is considered to damage the dwindling work in coal mines.

The coal industry employed more than 50,000 people in 1986, but now barely 8,000 earn their living as miners.

Al Jazeera's Paul Brennan reports from Santa Cruz de Sil.