Last-minute meeting between the Ministry of Transport and unions to prevent tomorrow's commuter train strike

BarcelonaRepresentatives from the Ministry of Transport and the works councils of Renfe and Adif returned this Sunday afternoon to resume negotiations to address the rail strike called for tomorrow, which will affect the commuter service. The conflict had been brewing since the beginning of the month, with more than a hundred trains cancelled Carnival weekend, and on Monday the 4th, it became clear. The general works councils, along with all the driver unions of both public companies, have called a total of seven days of strikes in March and April at both companies due to, they say, non-compliance with the agreements signed regarding the transfer of Cercanías and Renfe Mercancías services.

The strike is called for the following days: March 17, 19, 24, 26, and 28, as well as April 1 and 3. This was reported by union sources on Monday. On March 17, 26, and April 1, the strikes will last 24 hours; on the remaining days, the strike will be partial, shift-based. The councils fear that the commitment to maintain the integrity of the workforce will not be fulfilled and are suspicious of the transfer. Furthermore, Renfe Mercaderies workers urge the Ministry of Transport to respect the agreements and guarantee the stability and continuity of rail services.

In a statement this week, the majority union of Renfe train drivers, Semaf, explained that the strike is not only due to doubts about the transfer: "We firmly express that this strike is for the model of our companies, for our labor rights achieved through many union struggles, for our public agreements (...). In short, we want the survival of Adif and Renfe as we know them today," they conclude in the statement.

Lines affected by the train drivers' strike

The labor dispute has been dragging on for weeks, and this Carnival weekend has already caused serious problems on the Catalan rail network. On Saturday, 106 trains had to be cancelled, and yesterday, Sunday, and this Monday, delays continued to accumulate throughout the morning on most lines. Renfe has admitted that the labor dispute was causing delays on the R2 Sur, R4, R13, R14, R15, R16, and R17 lines.

To try to alleviate the problems, Renfe has activated more reserve staff, reinforced the operations management center, and expanded its information staff. It has also activated its coordination teams to try to find quick solutions and improve rail flow.

Minimum services

The Department of Business and Employment has decreed minimum services of 66% during peak hours and 33% during off-peak hours for the seven days of strikes called between March 17 and April 3 at Renfe, in accordance with the order signed by Minister Miquel Sàmper. Peak hours are considered to be between six in the morning and nine thirty in the morning and between five in the afternoon and eight thirty in the evening.

The order establishes that the minimum services dictated "are justified by the development of previous strikes with these proportions, which have balanced the constitutional right to strike and the essential transport service for citizens."

For its part, this week the Ministry of Transport decreed minimum services of 72% for high-speed and long-distance services and 24% for freight. Unlike in Catalonia, for the Surroundings (the name of Cercanías in the rest of the State) has established 50% for off-peak hours and 75% during peak hours.