The first day there was normality in markets and roads, but the platform warns of a “very dark Christmas if the cost law is broken”
After a week of warnings, meetings between the organizers of the strikes and the Ministry of Transport, together with the rejection of the rest of the transport sector, the critical truckers stopped their vehicles from Sunday midnight to Monday. They did it to protest the breach of the cost law, which prohibits working at a loss and which was approved in the summer after the serious transport protests last March.
On the other hand, this time it does not seem that the mobilization is going to have the same effects. In March the strike was also called by the Transport Defense Platform, but different associations joined them throughout the days. This caused the collapse of some logistics centers and highways, which led the Government to grant direct aid to the sector and the subsidy of 20 cents per liter of fuel that was later extended to other drivers.
Normality in the Region
Normality was the general trend on the roads of the Region of Murcia this Monday. The transport companies carried out their activity regularly and without incident, according to the assessment of the Government delegate, José Vélez. He clarified that “it is not a legal strike”, although he acknowledged that “the conveners have the right to make their strikes in accordance with the rules and laws.” The Regional Federation of Organizations and Transport Companies of Murcia (Froet), for its part, reiterated its rejection of the mobilization. “This is not a time for strikes, but to continue negotiating with the Government to continue advancing to maintain the sustainability of companies in the sector,” said the deputy secretary of the employer, Eva Melenchón.
Despite the apparent calm, spirits are agitated among carriers. So much so that more than 1,500 professionals from the Region supported the strike, and some of them joined the Madrid demonstration, which, according to the regional spokesperson for the platform, Ester Sampietro, obtained a great “participation success.”
During the day yesterday, the supply to the main logistics centers, markets and highways presented “absolute normality”. So, at least, it was pointed out by Fenadismer (National Federation of Transport Associations of Spain), which was not aware of “any incident”. Astic (International Road Transport Association) also reported normality in the operation of its companies on roads, ports, logistics centers and rest areas.
In the same way, from Mercamadrid they assured that the entry of goods took place from early hours like any other day, although with the presence of National Police agents at the door. And it is that the device of the Ministry of the Interior has been much better planned this time given the serious incidents that occurred in the protests in March. Interior sources assured that the situation was “normal”, with the exception of a tire fire in Algeciras, and fire damage to four trucks in Villaescusa (Cantabria), in addition to some punctures in Illescas (Toledo), actions that are being investigated.
3,000 protesters
But Manuel Hernández, president of the Platform in Defense of Transportation, warned that more forceful actions are not ruled out if their demands are not met; for example, slow moving trucks or highway closures. “We are not going to be fooled,” he warned the media during the demonstration in the center of Madrid. And although he affirmed that he does not want this to become a “pulse” with the Government, he insisted that “a very dark Christmas is coming if the law is not complied with.” In any case, his march was less crowded than expected, with some 3,000 people protesting -according to Police calculations- who stayed in front of the Ministry of Transport, hindering traffic on the Paseo de la Castellana.
For Minister Raquel Sánchez, today this strike “is not justified.” In a conference organized by Invertia, she wanted to highlight the “great efforts” of the last year to change the conditions of carriers and the response to many of her requests.
Even so, he indicated that they are willing to continue the dialogue. However, he insisted that the valid representatives are those of the National Road Transport Committee (CNTC), an organization that rejects the protests and in which critical truckers do not feel represented. During her speech, the minister referred to the tolls, although she pointed out that she is still on the Government’s “road map”, she believes that they cannot implement it “without a consensus that currently does not exist.”
The Government will liberalize bus routes and competition will enter
The Government has begun the procedures to launch a public consultation and find out the interests of the bus transport companies to study a liberalization in the sector and the entry of competition in some national bus lines, as announced by the Secretary of State for Transport , Isabel Pardo de Vera, in an act organized by the CNMC.
The regulator has recommended that the Government carry out a series of measures, among which is the liberalization of interurban routes with a journey length of more than 100 km. And Pardo de Vera confirmed it.
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