Truckers’ strike in Spain continues despite $1B aid package

By Alyssa McMurtry

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) - Spain’s government agreed on a €1.05 billion ($1.16 billion) aid package for the transportation sector on Friday, but thousands of truck drivers continue to strike.

A group of self-employed and small trucking businesses has been on strike for 12 days, severely disrupting the supply chain across Spain.

Hoping to ease their concerns, the government announced that it will subsidize the price of diesel, which has reached record prices in Spain, by €0.20 per liter for the transport sector.

That is on top of previously announced direct aid. Overall, the government calculates the cost of operating semis will go down by around €700 per month.

The measures are set to take effect on April 1.

“From the government, we are working tirelessly, both in Spain and in the European Union, to mitigate the effects of the war,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Twitter, celebrating the “great agreement” reached with the representatives of the transportation sector.

In recent weeks, the government has said the platform behind the majority of the truckers who are refusing to work is not a valid negotiator and is fueled by the far-right.

In response to the new deal, the platform says the strike will continue.

“No one has talked to us. The government continues to sit down with the wrong people, and they continue offering us crumbs and tips to stop the conflict, which will never happen just by giving us a discount on the price of diesel,” Manuel Hernandez, the head of the platform behind the strike, told Spanish broadcaster RNE.

Every day that the strike continues means more trouble for Spain’s businesses.

Factories including those owned by Danone, Volkswagen, and Mercedes have had to temporarily pause production due to a lack of raw materials.

Supermarkets and small shops are grappling with empty shelves, with particular shortages of milk, fresh produce, and fresh fish.

Restaurants too are having to take items off their menus, while farmers are struggling to deliver or receive key products.

Meanwhile, many construction sites have come to a halt as critical materials like cement fail to arrive.

Fishermen have also been on strike in Spain but they reached a separate agreement with the government earlier this week. However, many boats remain docked at shore both due to high energy prices and their catch going undelivered.

Transport Minister Raquel Sanchez told broadcaster Onda Cero on Friday: “There are no reasons to keep this strike going and Spanish society does not deserve to be subjected to more uncertainty.”

For the first time, however, Sanchez said she was not ruling out meeting with the platform behind the strike.