The Spanish train drivers’ union Semaf has replaced the strike planned for 12 November at the railway company Renfe with a walkout on 23 November. It is responding to a decree-law on railway safety, which the government approved on 10 November. A further strike on 17 November will go ahead, according to the union.
Semaf says the postponement is intended to allow time for negotiations on outstanding safety agreements. At the same time, the organisation is maintaining further stoppages to press its demands. It announced the decision on 10 November, when train drivers had already stopped work.
The decree-law was published in Spain’s Official State Gazette on 11 November and generally entered into force the same day. One important exception concerns changes to the calculation of driving times and to oversight: these will apply only six months after publication. This is intended to give railway companies and infrastructure operators time to adjust their timetables and work organisation.
The measures include confidential channels for reporting safety risks. As a general rule, employees are not to suffer professional disadvantages for making such reports; exceptions include deliberate acts or gross negligence. In the event of serious and imminent danger, they may take appropriate measures within the scope of their duties, including stopping a journey or not starting one.
The decree also provides expanded access for inspectors from the state railway safety authority It also extends an existing provision allowing earlier retirement under certain conditions to employees of other railway companies. Whether other occupational groups can also be included is to be examined.
According to reports, the 17 November walkout will involve not only train drivers at various railway companies but also employees of the infrastructure operator Adif. For 19 November, the newspaper 20minutos reports a separate strike call by the union representing operations and traffic staff. Its demands include more staff in operations control centres.
Separate from the railway dispute is the nationwide Spanish general strike on 11 November. The Transport Ministry had set minimum service levels for this. According to Renfe, local services were to run at 50 or 75 per cent of the usual frequency, depending on the time of day. These requirements relate to the general strike, not the later walkouts.
Editor: Daniel Mayer (Article created with AI assistance).