Spanish rail workers to strike Wednesday over freight JV
A second 24-hour strike by Renfe workers will cancel 328 Spanish trains on Wednesday, though the wider dispute centres on a contested freight joint venture with shipping giant MSC.
Spain’s Railway Union has called a second 24-hour strike for Wednesday, July 15th, disrupting national rail operator Renfe. The stoppage follows a similar walkout on June 29th.
The Spanish Ministry of Transport has mandated minimum services of 73 percent for high-speed trains and 66 percent for medium-distance routes. This means 94 of 343 high-speed and long-distance services could be affected, alongside 234 of 650 medium-distance trains, totalling 328 cancellations.
Travellers may not face severe disruption despite these numbers. During the late June strike, Renfe reported worker participation at just 1.83 percent. The company stated that services operated "normally across most of the rail network" because many passengers secured seats on running trains.
Freight dispute drives industrial action
The union is striking over what it calls a breach of a November 2023 agreement with the Ministry of Transport. That previous deal had successfully averted a planned walkout.
The core of the current conflict is the future of Renfe Mercancías, the company’s freight division. The union opposes a planned joint venture with Medway, which is part of the Swiss-Italian MSC group. Union representatives accuse Renfe of deliberately abandoning its freight services.
The union warns the MSC joint venture poses a "serious threat" to Renfe's workforce. It argues the plans create an atmosphere of uncertainty "without any guarantees for the workforce”.
Relations between the union and Renfe have deteriorated further following the June strike. The union has denounced Renfe, stating the company "acted illegally to prevent the free exercise" of the strike. It plans to take these "irregularities" to court to protect workers' fundamental right to strike.
Passengers planning to travel on Wednesday are advised to check their service status before departing. Renfe is allowing affected travellers to change or cancel tickets through official channels without additional fees.
