Spain Approves Train Driver Decree as Rodalies Strike Begins
Spain's government approved a decree-law on train drivers' driving hours, rail inspections and retirement age on the first Rodalies strike day.
The Spanish government approved an urgent decree-law on Tuesday, the first of three strike days by train drivers, that changes how driving time is counted, widens inspection powers over railway companies and extends early-retirement coefficients to more rail workers. The Council of Ministers (Consejo de Ministros) adopted the measures, according to a statement from the Ministry of Transport, reported by Ara.
The stoppages affect Rodalies (the commuter rail network around Barcelona) and the rail sector across Spain. A 24-hour strike is planned for Tuesday, while partial stoppages are expected on the remaining days.
What the decree-law changes
The text still has to be voted on in Congress, at the Permanent Deputation (the body that sits between parliamentary sessions). The Ministry of Transport, now led by Carlos Cuerpo, says it answers demands from the unions Semaf, CCOO and UGT.
The first change concerns how driving time is measured. Maneuvers that involve handling the train will count, and so will interruptions during which the driver stays responsible for the vehicle and keeps watching rail traffic or maneuvers. Interruptions of 45 minutes or more during tests, trials, inspections or verifications will also count as driving time. Where two drivers share a task, one qualified for the vehicle and the other for the infrastructure, the time will be calculated at once and in the same way for both.
More power for the railway safety agency
The decree-law strengthens the State Railway Safety Agency (AESF). Any person or company under a supervisory action must give inspectors access to its facilities and equipment. Railway entities must also open up their facilities, trains and equipment when an inspection needs them. The stated aim is that the agency can act even when the premises, trains or equipment belong to a different railway entity from the one being supervised.
Workers also get a recognized right to take “necessary and proportionate” measures when they face a serious and imminent safety risk. Those measures can include stopping a train or not starting it. People who report risks or act to protect safety are shielded from retaliation or sanctions at work.
Retirement coefficients
The decree-law extends the retirement age reduction coefficients (factors that allow some workers to retire earlier) to more railway staff. A procedure to review those coefficients will also begin, to study whether other railway professions exposed to arduous, toxic, dangerous or unhealthy work should be included.
Why it matters
Commuters who rely on Rodalies are facing a full-day stoppage on Tuesday and partial stoppages on the other two days. The unions did not call off the strike after their last meeting with the new transport minister on Friday. The government said it saw “progress” in those talks, but the drivers’ unions went ahead.
The dispute has a long history. The sector’s current demands date back to February, when unions and the government agreed to strengthen rail safety after the accident in Adamuz, in Córdoba, in which 46 people died, and after a fatal accident in Gelida. The conflict sharpened after the accident in Urda, in Toledo, where 69 people have died. The minister is Cuerpo because Óscar Puente resigned.
What happens next
Congress must still vote on the decree-law at the Permanent Deputation. Partial stoppages are planned for the rest of the three strike days. Neither Ara’s report nor the ministry statement it cites says whether the unions will drop the remaining stoppages after the decree-law.
Source: Ara
