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Bus and lorry drivers are threatening to strike indefinitely across Spain over the busy Christmas period to demand earlier retirement and better conditions.
Workers' unions have called strikes for 28 October, 11, 28 and 29 November and 5 and 9 December, and will start an indefinite strike from 23 December if their demands are not met.
There are some 250,000 salaried lorry or bus drivers in Spain, although unions expect the self-employed to join the strike, with the figure possibly reaching some 500,000 workers on strike. The strike call does not include taxi drivers or VTC private hire drivers. The unions calling the strike (UGT and CCOO) represent 70% of employees in the sector.
The unions are demanding that drivers' employment conditions such as the retirement age, and the right to partial retirement be improved and adjusted to the conditions of other categories of workers who face similar kinds of risks to drivers. The unions are basing their demands on high accident rates on the road due to the older age of drivers, especially those aged above 55.
"This is a demand that has been made for 20 years and has been blocked for more than a decade," the unions said. They also pointed out there are proposals to improve working conditions in the sector, which have been ignored by the government, and demanded the risk of their work be recognised, as well as to reduce social security contributions (which are six times higher in this sector due to accidents at work and occupational illnesses), and to make partial retirement with a relief contract voluntary for the worker.
Although there are still days left "to agree and mediate", said the unions calling the strike, they also pointed out that they have already taken all possible measures to avoid the strike, such as rallies, both at provincial and regional level. There has also been communication with all the ministries involved and various political groups, but no solution has been reached. On 7 June, they rallied outside the ministry of social security to demand early retirement.
Until early retirement is established, workers' unions are calling for a partial retirement with a relief contract, voluntary for the driver who can continuously accumulate the percentage of hours they have to work and that, in their place, a young person can enter, as a provisional measure.
If an agreement is not reached, bus and lorry drivers will not get behind the wheel over the crucial Christmas holiday period. The last major protest in the sector happened in March 2022 where a 20-day strike threatened the entire distribution chain. At that time, drivers were going through difficulty due to rising fuel prices.
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