Spanish transport workers vote against resuming their strike action

A ballot among Spanish transport workers has resulted in the decision not to resume their suspended strike action.

There will not be a resumption of strike action by Spanish transport workers in July. Members of the National Platform in Defence of the Transport Sector yesterday, Sunday, June 26, rejected this move, but only by a small margin, as reported by larazon.es.

This clearly shows a marked divide within the collective. The different assemblies throughout Spain had voted yesterday, with 41 per cent supporting reactivating the previous strike that was suspended at the start of April. However, another 45 per cent were in favour of keeping the industrial action on hold.

They are prepared to wait and see what transpires with negotiating improvements for the sector with the Government. Their main demand is that the law applies the principles of the regulation of the food chain to prevent the sector from working at a loss.

In a statement sent on Monday, June 27, to its associates, the Platform warned that, if as of June 30, the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda (Mitma) did not implement the law, or a similar mechanism that would allow them not to work at a loss, “our response would be to reactivate the strike through prior consultation with our carriers”.

Mitma responded that they do not understand why this threat is being made because their commitment is to have the law ready before the end of July.

The Platform pointed out that on June 16 it held a meeting at Mitma, “where after three hours of debating, we did not reach any positive conclusion”. This was the reason given by the organisation for summoning its provincial assemblies to vote yesterday on the possible reactivation of the strikes.

Its threat of new stoppages was responded to by the Executive almost in extremis the Platform assured. They revealed that hours before the day of the vote “we received a call from the spokesperson for Transport in the Congress of Deputies of the Executive itself, to hold a meeting”

At the meeting, they were given the draft of the law to prohibit contracting at a loss in transport, and, according to them, they were asked to “become involved in the development of the law by participating and contributing our position and interests as grassroots hauliers, thus recognising the fundamental and necessary role of the Platform in terms of the representation we have in the sector”.

They were also informed of Mitma’s commitment to have the final text, with their agreement, before July 31, so that it can then begin its legislative process.

Despite having been in favour of resuming the stoppages, the Platform management stressed that keeping the stoppages in abeyance “should not be understood under any circumstances as a step backwards. On the contrary, it shows the relevance that Platform has gained in recent months”.

In addition, they warned that the strike “remains suspended, and with the constant possibility of being reactivated at any time if the negotiation is not favourable or the situation requires it”.

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