UGT and CCOO are considering calling a new strike on Rodalies in the coming weeks, a possibility that both organizations are evaluating jointly while keeping a mediation channel open with the Generalitat de Catalunya to try to avoid the stoppage.
Union pressure comes at a time when the previous conflict had been defused with agreements to halt another strike, but one of the most influential unions among train drivers, Semaf, does not foresee mobilizations for now and maintains that it remains focused on developing those agreements.
UGT and CCOO place the possible stoppage between late May and early June
Union sources place the possible call for a strike at the end of May or the beginning of June, although there is no firm date for now. The strike, moreover, could be called off if the mediation opened with the Generalitat de Catalunya allows for an agreement to be reached.
Both unions prioritize this negotiation before activating the protest calendar. The option on the table involves a joint call for a strike on Rodalies.
Unions demand compliance with the February agreement and reinforcement of staff and security
Among the demands is the fulfillment of the February agreements, which included the presence of a conductor on each medium-distance train. To this demand, they add more staff, more security for workers and users, and salary improvements.
The new union standoff appears after the previous strike, which was called in response to the railway accidents in Gelida and Adamuz. That protest ended up being called off after the agreements reached.
While UGT and CCOO consider reactivating mobilizations, Semaf maintains a different position. The majority union among train drivers confirms that it does not foresee strikes for the moment and that it continues to work on the development of the agreements that allowed the last strike to be called off.
One of the points that UGT and CCOO are now demanding is the commitment made in February for there to be a conductor on each medium-distance train.