The strike in Spain’s canned vegetables industry begins on Friday, 25 September 2026. The unions UGT-FICA and CCOO are calling for work stoppages at businesses across the country. In La Rioja a rally is scheduled for 12:00 on Plaza de San Isidro in Autol The unions have also scheduled strike days for 7 October 2026 and his party 8 October 2026 .
UGT-FICA and CCOO cite stalled negotiations over the industry’s national collective agreement as the reason for the action. The unions say the employers’ side is blocking significant progress. The aim is to secure a substantial improvement to the agreement, particularly on wages and working conditions. Around 3,500 workers in La Rioja have been called to take part; several regions are reporting figures in the high four to five digits. Precise workforce figures confirmed by employers’ associations were not available at the time.
The parties to the dispute had previously explored the possibility of reaching an agreement, including through the Servicio Interconfederal de Mediación y Arbitraje (SIMA). According to the unions, no agreement was reached. The employers’ side said publicly that it wanted to continue negotiations; no specific new offers had been made public by the time of publication.
The strike takes place during the harvest season, when many businesses pack freshly processed crops. Local production stoppages and delays to logistics and deliveries are possible during the work stoppages. The scale will depend on participation at the plants and any emergency services. Reliable figures on participation rates will not be available until at least after the strike begins.
The background is a national industry-wide collective agreement governing wages, working hours and allowances in Spain’s canned vegetable industry. In view of rising living costs and heavy seasonal workloads, UGT-FICA and CCOO are demanding an agreement with clear real-terms pay rises and more precise protections. Employers say they are willing to negotiate, but point to cost and competitive pressures.
What happens next depends on how talks develop after the first days of the strike. Without new offers from employers and further rounds of negotiations, no substantial progress is expected in the short term. If the parties move closer to an agreement, further planned stoppages could be called off. Otherwise, the dispute is likely to continue into the peak of the harvest and temporarily disrupt supply chains in some of Spain’s growing regions.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).