Spain used to pour more cement in a year than France, Germany and Italy combined but now cement use has collapsed to contemporary lows.

Demand for cement in Spain just keeps falling in the wake of the housing market bust and a shrinking public works programme. Cement use in October was at the lowest level in the last 27 years, and 28pc lower than the same month last year, according to the Oficemen trade body.

Needless to say, cement manufacturers and distributors are hurting. Aniceto Zaragoza, head of Oficemen, has been pleading their case trying to convince the incoming government to spend more on public works and stimulate the housing market. “It’s a time to create jobs, not destroy them, and we know that for every 1 million Euros of infrastructure cuts, 18 jobs are lost,” he said.