STRIKE ACTION

Lorry strikes in Spain suspended for the time being

(L-R) The members of the National Platform in Defense of the Transport Sector, Miguel Canovas, the president of the Independent Union of Transport Workers (UITA), Jose Fernandez, and the president of the National Platform in Defense of Transport, Manuel Hernandez attend a press conference at Chamartin Hotel, in Madrid. Photo: Isabel Infantes/dpa.

The Nomad Today

03 de April de 2022 (09:35 h.)

The leaders of the Platform for the Protection of the Transport Sector said they want to "preserver their forces" in order to "strike a second blow"

After 20 days of protests, the serious lorry strikes that caused supply bottlenecks in Spain have been suspended for the time being.

The protests were "temporarily suspended," the "Platform for the Protection of the Transport Sector" announced on Saturday.

However, the actions could "resume soon," it said after a meeting of strike leaders in San Fernando de Henares near Madrid. They want to "preserve their forces" in order to "strike a second blow."

The organization, which mainly represents small hauliers, had called for strikes and protests in protest against the sharp rise in fuel prices as a result of the Ukraine war.

In the course of the actions, which started on March 14 with blockades of motorways, wholesale markets, city centres and ports, there were supply bottlenecks in Spain. Among other things, milk, yoghurt and fruit had become scarce.

Production suspended

Some factories, including the Volkswagen plant in Pamplona, had to temporarily suspend production.

Although the government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez had reached an agreement with representatives of the CNCT, the umbrella organization of Spanish trucking companies, on March 25 and promised aid of more than €1 billion ($1.1 billion), the strike platform continued the protests at the time, claiming that the aid was only "peanuts."

Madrid had granted a relief of 20 cents per litre on fuel as well as direct aid amounting to €450 million. However, the government did not want to make any further concessions.