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Key aspect of transport strike in November 2022

During the week of November 14, Spain plunged into a transport strike, which was preceded by previous mobilisations in March this year.

In this article we are going to review the key aspects of the last strike in the transport sector: we are going to introduce its protagonists, its causes, the demands of the affected party and the impact the mobilisations may have.

Ready? Let’s start then!

How did the strike start and what are the reasons?

The Platform for the Defence of Good Transport Sector by Road started an indefinite strike last Monday, 14th of November. This decision was made with 85% of votes in favour during an internal votation of the Platform.

The affected party continues complaining about high prices of fuel and denounce that the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda has done nothing to control the compliance of the transport chain law which should guarantee transport companies the right to refuse to work in a loss-making situation.

The abovementioned law, which came into force in March, forces the contracting party to pay prices that at least cover the expenses of the service. It was a measure approved together with a support package of 450 million euros.

 

What do the carriers request?

The Platform for the Defence of Transport denounces having presented several complaints to the Ministry of Transport Inspection against some contracting parties who do not comply with the transport chain law and which have never received a reply.

If the complaints were considered legitimate, the infringers could pay penalties up to 4.000 euros.

Another aspect the new law intended to guarantee is the right to refuse to assume the task of unloading the goods. However, the Platform denounces some cases of retaliation against the carriers who refuse to continue unloading their trucks.

On the other hand, the transport companies have also requested extension of the 20-cent-per-litre aid, a temporary measure which was approved by the Ministry of Transport during strikes in May and which is due to expire on December 31 this year.

With relation to the last point, the Minister of Transport, Raquel Sánchez, has stated that the Government is about to take the decision which will be made public in some weeks.

 

What impact may the strike of the transport sector have?

One of the key factors to determine the seriousness of the strike will be to analyse to what extent it has been followed by different protagonists and associations. In fact, the Platform who calls the strike, is not a part of The Transport by Road National Committee (CNTC) which is who negotiates officially with the Government.

The transport strike coincided with the start of the Black Friday and Christmas campaign, when consumption rates increase and subsequently there is more movement of goods. Nevertheless, it is still too early to determine the grade of its impact and if the supply chain will be interrupted.

Inverse logistics as a key factor to promote circular economy

Consumption of recourses of the earth, faster than their regeneration, brings about adverse effects to the planet, to people and to current and future industry.

An alternative to counteract these effect is to get away from lineal economy (extract, produce and waste) and adopt circular economy. In other words, to reuse waste and lengthen product circle of life in order not to extract more raw materials.

Read more …Inverse logistics as a key factor to promote circular economy