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Date Published: 27/06/2022

ARCHIVED - Transport strike in Spain called off

ARCHIVED ARTICLE

The majority of truckers in Spain voted to continue negotiations for better working conditions

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - Transport strike in Spain called off

The Platform for the Defence of the Transport of Goods, which mainly represents self-employed truck drivers in Spain, has agreed not to call for new strikes while waiting for the government to “fulfil the commitments” it has made to the sector before June 30.

Last March, truckers across Spain went on strike for 20 days, causing untold disruption to virtually every industry in the country and the industrial action only came to an end when the government promised to pass a law guaranteeing that drivers would not be forced to operate at a loss.

However, the Platform has publically doubted the commitment of the Spanish administration to approve the decree by the end of the month, and more strikes throughout July seemed inevitable.

At the eleventh hour, the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda delivered a draft of the decree to the National Committee for Road Transport (CNTC), and 45% of the drivers agreed to continue the negotiations rather than calling for more work stoppages.

41% of transport workers voted in favour of the strike while 14% abstained.

In the meantime, the Platform has vowed to “take advantage” of the talks to pressure the government to “directly intervene in all circumstances of abuse with transport operators and with all entities that harm or hinder road workers.”

While the negotiations continue "we are going to present ourselves before those clients of the carriers, whether they are operators or factories, so that they directly change their price policy, payment terms and treatment of the carriers and drivers they hire," a spokesperson said.

The Ministry of Transport has insisted that it has fulfilled “all the commitments” it has made to the road freight transport sector and is considering approving new support measures in the face of rising fuel prices.

Image: Archive

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