Petrol Station Strikes - 30 April (4 hours) & 3 May 2026

[Carl]

https://www.cope.es/programas/la-linter ... 48057.html

Google translate:

Unions confirm strike for the upcoming May bank holiday weekend at gas stations: "This is the time when they can do the most damage"

The strikes, called for April 30 and May 3, aim to break the deadlock in collective bargaining negotiations during the peak travel period for the long weekend.

The unions UGT, FICA, and CC.OO. have called a strike at service stations across Spain for Thursday, April 30th, and Sunday, May 3rd, coinciding with the May Day holiday weekend. The aim is to force progress in the sector's collective bargaining agreement negotiations, which are currently stalled after three months of talks, a situation analyzed on the COPE radio program 'La Linterna'.

In the segment 'Economics Lessons', ABC's deputy director and economic expert, Yolanda Gómez, explained alongside Alberto Escalante that the choice of dates was not accidental. According to Gómez, the unions are seeking to exert maximum pressure: "Logically, the moment they can exert the most pressure is when they can do the most damage to customers."

A fair agreement as the main demand

The strike will take place partially on Thursday, April 30, between 12:00 and 16:00, and will continue throughout the day on Sunday, May 3. The unions' main demand is a "fair collective agreement" that includes a minimum annual salary increase of 2% and a guarantee clause linked to the actual CPI plus 0.5%, in addition to improvements in work-life balance and reduced working hours.

The labor unions have described the employers' attitude at the negotiating table as "unacceptable." They denounce that, after achieving some partial progress, the companies have backtracked by withdrawing proposals and presenting a "clearly regressive" financial offer, which, in their view, constitutes "a lack of respect for collective bargaining."

Soaring prices and loss of purchasing power

The main point of contention is the employers' intention to limit wage increases linked to the CPI without guaranteeing purchasing power. The unions consider this "a direct attack on the sector's workforce," especially in a context where fuel prices continue to soar.

This situation creates a paradox, like the one this international truck driver is experiencing in Spain with fuel, where companies are posting profits while workers are seeing their wages cut. All of this is happening amidst the debate about whether low-cost fuel is the same as that of major brands.

Given this scenario, Yolanda Gómez expressed her hope that the parties would reach an agreement: "Let's hope there's an agreement beforehand," to prevent the strikes from harming the many citizens who "will be leaving the big cities" during the long weekend.

[Bee]

The Unions better call Mr Trump preferably around 3 or 4 am US time as he is the only one who can fix the fuel prices. I understand he is good at answering the phone

Bee