By Jon Nazca

CADIZ Spain (Reuters). -Metalworkers unions are located in the southern Spanish town of CADIZ. Cadiz (NASDAQ:) A preliminary deal was reached with employers on Wednesday night, ending the nine-day strike that involved some 20,000 workers and resulting in tense encounters with police.

Although a spokesperson for UGT Union confirmed that an agreement had been made, he did not detail the details. The accord must be ratified at every company by the union delegates.

Juanma Moreno, regional leader of the region tweeted: “I am happy that companies and steelworkers have agreed to a deal.”

After 700 metal-working businesses in the area failed to agree on a new collective bargaining arrangement, unions and FEMCA began a strike that started Nov. 16.

Cadiz’s main industrial area was blocked by picketing workers who set up bonfires and blocksades to block access.

Both police and unions claim that although the protests were peaceful in general, they occasionally became violent when officers fired rubber bullets at demonstrators who set fire to trash containers or hurled rocks.

Over the course of this strike, 2 people were taken into custody.

Despite the fact that multinationals such as Airbus and Dragados Offshore (ACS) were not affected by the strike, they have had to shut down their operations.

A spokesperson for Airbus stated that workers at Puerto de Santa Maria had struggled to pass picket lines since strike started. They were only allowed to enter the plant on Wednesday after police assisted them.

The historic port city on Spain’s Atlantic Coast has had strained relations with its workers for many years. Despite being a key industrial center and tourist attraction, it suffers from the highest rates of unemployment in the country.

Inflation at its highest point in three decades, the unions called for wage increases that were linked with the consumer-price index. This would ensure that workers don’t lose their purchasing power.

After five rounds of unsuccessful talks, both sides exchanged accusations of being rigid before reaching a final agreement in Seville on Wednesday.

Additional reporting by Nathan Allen. Editing by Andrei Khalip. Jan Harvey. Andrea Ricci.