Ridesharing services will cease to exist in Barcelona, warns union

Ridesharing services in Barcelona could cease to exist and thousands of employees could lose their jobs, according to the union representing the sector that includes drivers working for such online apps as Uber and Cabify.

In the aftermath of the strike and protests against such services by the city's taxi drivers, the Unauto union also called for territory minister, Damià Calvet, to step down, and for the government's proposed regulation for the sector to be put on hold.

"We are being expelled. They are forcing us to close and forcing the public to use an inferior service," said Unauto head Eduardo Martin in a press conference on Thursday, adding that Calvet has made promises to the taxi drivers that "he knows he cannot fulfill."