More than 80,000 bus drivers were summoned to a general strike in road transport this Monday. The measure seeks to pressure for the implementation of a early retirement special, arguing the conditions of occupational risk that they face in the sector.
The protest, organized by the unions CCOO and UGThas affected intercity, urban, discretionary and school bus services, as well as the self-propelled crane sector.
Initially, it was planned to concentrate 300,000 workers, including nearly 220,000 salaried truck drivers. However, the latter have been left out of the call after having reached agreements in the freight transport and health sectors.
A historical claim that has been standing for 20 years
This demand is historic, since the unions began to raise it in 2004 and, since then, it has motivated various mobilizations. However, this is the first time that a general strike has been called to demand its compliance.
The following are scheduled for November 11, 28 and 29; December 5 and 9. Starting December 23, the strike could become indefinite
This Monday’s mobilization, which included a rally in front of the Government Delegation in Madrid, will mark the first of the seven scheduled days of strike. The following are planned for the days November 11, 28 and 29; December 5 and 9. Starting December 23, the strike could become indefinite.
The deputy secretary general of the Federation of Services, Mobility and Consumption (FeSMC) from UGT, Pedro Allerexplained last week that, after the unions reduced their demands to the minimum that they considered essential, the freight transport employers have accepted them, “while the passenger transport employers still do not give their approval.”
The agreement reached contemplates the commitment to implement preventive measures in companies and the possibility of adjusting costs to facilitate the contributions required in the merchandise sector, which will allow the application of retirement reduction coefficients.
The employers’ associations of the passenger transport sector that participate in the negotiation table −Confebus, Atuc, Anetra and direbusin addition to the crane employers’ association Anagrual− “They hide behind a cost issue,” Aller pointed out, a justification that the unions consider unfounded.
The employers ask for the strike to be called off
The general secretary of the Road and Logistics sector of the Federation of Citizen Services of CCOO (FSC-CCOO), Francisco José Vegastold Efe that, although “there is always the possibility of calling off” the strike until it begins, “the conditions are not really met” for it.
For the unions, the employers “has swerved” and has left the negotiating table, even though “there were enough elements to reach an agreement.” Even so, unions are willing to negotiateprovided that “the same terms that have been applied in the sect” are respected.
According to the Association of Urban and Metropolitan Public Transport (Atuc) and the Spanish Confederation of Bus Transport (Confebus), the mobilization has been called without having held the previous dialogue tablea step considered necessary before any strike call. For this reason, they asked CCOO and UGT to call off the strike.
In addition, they asked the unions to open a dialogue table to address, among other issues, all aspects related to early retirement, as reported in a statement.
Unions denounce “abusive” minimum services
The day of the strike has been characterized by normality and the absence of incidents. However, unions have denounced the imposition of “abusive” minimum services.
Confebus has indicated that the day passes “almost normally”, although it reports the breakage of thirty windows
Both CCOO and UGT have stated that the follow-up of the strike is 100%. The road passenger transport association, Confebus, has indicated in a statement that the day passes “almost normally”, although it reports the breakage of thirty moons. Furthermore, it indicates that the degree of compliance with minimum services exceeds 95%. So far, the employers’ association has reported that “companies are providing services well above the minimum” established.
According to sources consulted by Efe, there have been delays for some buses leaving depots, as well as some broken windows. Union representatives report that minimum services affect between 75% and 80% of services during peak hours, and assure that in some cases they even reach 100%, including services that “are not even essential.”
“Massive” monitoring of the strike in Catalonia
In Barcelonathe day has begun without significant incidents, according to Metropolitan Transport of Barcelona (TMB). The entity reports that approximately half of the buses have left compared to a usual Monday and that metro use has increased by 6% in relation to last week.
As indicated to Efe Juan José Pérezresponsible for the road transport sector of the Catalan UGT, the follow-up of the strike has been approximately 80% throughout Catalonia85% in the province of Barcelona and 90% in the metropolitan area of Barcelona. His CCOO counterpart of Catalonia, Luis González Mojalhas stated that the follow-up of the strike has been massive, reaching 100% in the four provincial capitals of Catalonia.
In Basque Countrythe head of road and logistics at CCOO, Juan Carlos Gonzálezhas informed Efe that the monitoring in Bizkaia has been massive, although it has been smaller in Alava. In Gipuzkoathe organizers expect that participation will be broad, according to the first data available.
The call has not received the support of the ELA and LAB unionswhich are the ones with the greatest presence in the productive fabric of Euskadi. Therefore, the CCOO representative considers that the “resounding success” of the response among the nearly 3,000 affected workers in Bizkaia takes on even more relevance.
Tourist services are suspended in the Canary Islands
According to the Federation of Transport Companies (FET), employer of the sector in Canary Islandsthe monitoring of the strike in public transport is complete, and minimum services are being respected. However, in private discretionary transport, practically all workers have attended their jobs and school routes have been covered.
The decision, as a precaution, to suspend excursions and visits in the tourism sector, together with the lack of intense activity in ports and airports this Monday, has contributed to the tranquility of the day.
Also in Balearic Islandsin Palma de Mallorcaminimum services are being met, with 45% of workers on unemployment. However, some lines have been affected by heavy rainfall recorded in Mallorca during the early hours of the morning, which have caused cuts on various roads, especially in the areas of Fields and Manacor.
In Andalusiaapproximately 30,000 bus drivers of road passenger transport and cranes are largely supporting the strike, without any notable incidents having been recorded, according to the organizers.
In Aragonthe person responsible for union action at the Federation of Citizen Services of CCOO Aragón, Juan Leyvahas declared to Efe that at the bus station in Saragossa “the docks are empty.” The impact of the passenger transport strike this Monday in Rioja is “minimal”, as in Navarre.
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