Spanish truckers start new strike over freight rules and cost of living

The strike by truck drivers that brought Spain to a halt earlier in the year was repeated Monday (14 November). Hundreds marched through Madrid demanding changes to road freight regulations and protesting the rising cost of living.

The unofficial Platform for the Defence of Transport protests the Madrid region's public healthcare policy. It also comes just 11 days after major unions in Spain held a demonstration against rising living expenses.

High-visibility vest-wielding protesters marched through central Madrid, passing Atocha train station and Parliament, waving slogans like "We don’t want subsidies, but we want solutions".

The March-April strike of truckers caused Spanish supply chains to stop, led to food shortages and triggered an inflation flare up that hampered quarterly economic growth.

Platform for the Defence of Transport demanded a second open-ended strike Monday to seek changes in road freight regulations to protect margins, and keep truckers' prices down.

Local media reported that traffic flowed as usual Monday morning in the critical supply chain centers in Barcelona's port and in Madrid's wholesale food markets. Seville is the fourth-largest city in the country.

Truckers finally received a package worth €1 billion, which included rebates on diesel fuel prices and a €1,200 cash bonus. However, they claim that the rebates were overtaken since then by rising fuel prices.

Nuria Hernan, the wife of a truck driver, said that many people are going bankrupt in transport because they cannot pay their expenses.

The 45-year old added: "It's just not worth going to work."

Share this article: