Bus strike in Madrid: first complications at rush hour and minimal services

Specifically, the strike is called for this Monday the 28th and the days of November 11, 28 and 29as well as December 5 and 9. Starting December 23, the strike will be indefinite.

Concentration at midday

During this Monday, urban and interurban bus and tow truck drivers will carry out a rally at 12:30 p.m. at the Government Delegation in Madrid. Called at the national level, it demands the advancement of the retirement age and the recognition for legal purposes of the driver’s professional work as “painful.”

In this framework, the Ministry of Housing, Transport and Infrastructure has established minimum services for EMT buses of 75% during peak hours (from the beginning of service provision at 6:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.) and 50% in off-peak hours. In the case of intercity buses, they will be 80% in peak hours, and 45% in off-peak hours.

For night lines, the Community of Madrid guarantees a coverage of 45% of the scheduled service in all of them. During holidays, it will be 50% on EMT and 45% on the rest of the urban and intercity buses in the region.

With regard to school transportation, since it is considered an essential service because it affects minors and their right to education must also be guaranteed, the establishment of minimum services of 60% has been planned. In the case of the transport of people with disabilities and reduced mobility, the minimum services will amount to 90%.

Failure of negotiations

The strike has been called by Workers’ Commissions (FSC-CCOO), State Federation of Services, Mobility and Consumption of the General Union of Workers Union (FESCM-UGT) and the Free Transport Union (SLT).

The Spanish Confederation of Bus Transport (Confebús) and the Association of Urban and Metropolitan Public Transport (ATUC) have regretted in a statement that it has not been possible to reach an agreement to avoid the strike. Both organizations have asked the unions to prepare a study before going to the Ministry to urge the start of the procedure to set the early retirement age for bus drivers.

“Without this study, the main associations in the passenger transport sector cannot make any decision in this regard, as they are unaware of the implications that a measure of this magnitude could entail,” they defend, in relation to the increase in business contributions that the early retirement.

These are the only two sectors (buses and cranes) in which it has not been possible to reach an agreementafter those driving ambulances and those driving goods (mainly trucks) have called off after negotiating the request to the Government to apply the advance retirement due to the dangerousness of the sector.

However, the employers assure that they remain open to new conversations to try to unblock this situation. Union sources consulted by Europa Press point to November 6 for a new meeting between both parties, although only in the crane sector.

For buses, there is still no set date.