Illa Criticizes Rodalies Drivers’ Conduct Ahead of Two Strike Days
Catalan president Salvador Illa says he understands Rodalies train drivers but rejects their conduct on Monday, with strikes set for Tuesday and Thursday.
Catalan president Salvador Illa said he “understands” the mood of Rodalies train drivers and will always respect their right to strike, but he criticized their conduct on Monday, when widespread delays hit the network. Drivers are due to strike on Tuesday and Thursday, and a general strike is called for Wednesday, which Illa described as a “difficult week” for getting around.
Rodalies is the commuter rail network run by Renfe in Catalonia. Illa spoke on the radio station Rac1, according to the news agency EFE.
Delays and cancellations on Monday
According to El Periódico, the Catalan rail network recorded widespread delays and some cancellations on Rodalies and regional services. The cause was given as “operational incidents related to driver management”. The reports indicate that some drivers did not turn up for their shifts, one day before the strike.
The unions Semaf and Alferro have called the stoppages for Tuesday and Thursday. Minimum services are set at 66% at peak hours. The general strike on Wednesday comes on top of those two days.
What Illa said
Illa told the drivers that the way to be heard is by “talking and making proposals”, not by making the service harder to run. “I don’t like today’s attitude, it is not the way to resolve things,” he said, according to EFE.
He also said that, after the Urda accident, the drivers decided unilaterally to break the operating agreements once reached with the Ministry of Transport and the Govern (Catalan government). He said he has spoken with Carlos Cuerpo, the deputy prime minister who has recently held the Transport portfolio, and with Secretary of State José Antonio Santano. El Periódico reports that he is also in contact with Catalan minister (consellera) Sílvia Paneque and that “there are conversations to reach commitments” with the workers.
Illa again apologized to passengers. He said it is “very difficult” for the Generalitat to pass on good information when it does not have it.
Why it matters for commuters
Rodalies users face disruption on three days in a row: the two driver strike days and the general strike between them. Monday’s delays came before any stoppage had formally begun.
Illa said investments are going ahead and that users will begin to notice improvements from early 2027, linked to 150 works under way on the network. He committed to investing in intercity transport but acknowledged that this “will not be resolved next month”. According to El Periódico, he also said the early election will not change the Govern’s roadmap for Rodalies, which focuses on improving governance and carrying out the planned works.
What to watch next
The driver strikes are set for Tuesday and Thursday with 66% minimum services at peak hours, and the general strike for Wednesday. Whether the talks Illa mentioned produce an agreement with the drivers has not been announced.
Sources: Infobae, El Periódico
