Taxi union calls for country-wide 24-hour strike in Spain

SPAIN’S largest taxi union has called for plans to strike for 24 hours throughout the country over private hire driver’s licenses (VTC).

Fedetaxi president Miguel Angel Leal said the Ministry of Development’s proposed regulations on VTC licenses were “insufficient.”

The proposed strike would be on Wednesday 29 November should an agreement not be reached.

The secretary for State Infrastructure and Transport, Julio Gomez-Pomar responded, saying the Ministry of Development would not change the regulations, which include a register for all private hire car drivers, and “anti-fraud measures.”

According to reports Fedetaxi held an extraordinary meeting with the Ministry for Development after a court case allowed Madrid to issue a further 80 VTC licences for their region.

Taxi unions in Spain have been fighting for restrictions on companies such as Uber and Cabify who they claim provide unfair competition.