A planned seven-day rail strike in Spain, set to begin on Monday 17 March, was called off at the last moment after unions representing workers from Renfe and Adif reached an agreement with the country’s Transport Ministry.
The industrial action had been scheduled to take place between 17 March and 3 April, with a mix of 24-hour and partial strikes. It was expected to impact rail services nationwide, including Cercanías commuter trains (known as Rodalíes in Catalonia), as well as medium- and long-distance routes.
The strike had initially been called due to what unions viewed as violations of agreements signed in 2023. These agreements had been reached to prevent a previous strike related to the transfer of the Catalan commuter rail service, Rodalíes, to the control of the Catalan government, as well as concerns over the potential ‘privatisation’ of freight transport.
Under the original agreement, Renfe and Adif were expected to continue operating Rodalíes, but unions remained skeptical, leading them to call for industrial action. However, on Sunday, the involved parties reached a new deal, which establishes that Renfe Viajeros will maintain a majority stake in the capital of the new company overseeing Rodalíes, while the Catalan government will have control over the board of directors.
Just four hours before the first stoppage was set to begin, Spain’s trade unions Semaf, CCOO, UGT, and SCF announced the strike’s cancellation after reaching an agreement with the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility.
‘We have reached an agreement, which means the strike is called off and therefore the service is back to normal,’ stated Spain’s Secretary of State for Transport, José Antonio Santano.
The agreement and new structure, Santano explained, will ‘guarantee the rights of Renfe and Adif workers’ once the new company is formed ‘later this year’, while ensuring that the Catalan commuter rail service is managed ‘locally’.
‘The deal strikes an important balance because it seeks to fully guarantee the social and labour rights of Renfe and Adif workers while also considering rail services and Spain’s citizens,’ he added.
As a result of the agreement, train services across Spain will now operate as usual on the affected dates: 17, 19, 24, 26 & 28 March, as well as 1 & 3 April.
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