Spanish transport workers strike to continue indefinitely after failing to reach agreement with Government

After failing to reach an agreement with the Government, Spanish transport workers will continue their strike indefinitely.

The indefinite strike by transport workers that was convened this Monday, November 7, by the Platform in Defence of Transport will continue. Manuel Hernandez, the president of the organisation confirmed this action today, Thursday 10.

This decision was reached after meeting with two deputy directors of the General Directorate of Land Transport of the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda (Mitma), said Hernandez.

He explained that during the meeting the union explained to the government representatives just how ‘overwhelming’ the situation in the sector had become. Mr Hernandez assured them that it was a lot worse than back in March when the previous industrial action created chaos in Spain.

His union requested the ministry to commit to increasing the number of inspectors and to also implement a formal inspection plan. This was needed he said to ensure compliance with the law approved in August that requires shippers to ensure that carriers do not work below cost.

The ball “is now on the roof of the ministry”, added Hernandez, asking that sanctions should be ‘exemplary’ against those who do not comply with the law. Any commitments from the Government must first be handed to the union in writing he insisted.

However, as he warned, these would subsequently be evaluated by the transport workers before proceeding to call off the current strike, as reported by larazon.es.

In response, Mitma insisted that it had fulfilled all its commitments and continued to move forward with “improvements, in dialogue and coordination with the sector and with maximum involvement”. 

A Ministry spokesperson said they had asked the Platform “to reconsider and call off a strike that does not benefit anyone, neither inside nor outside the sector, and which has been unanimously rejected by the vast majority of the transport and logistics sector, by distribution, by the agri-food chain industry, as well as by the majority representatives of employers, trade unions and self-employed associations”.

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