11th day of truckers' protests against rising fuel costs

An 11^th day of truck driver protests against increased fuel prices – particularly notable since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began a month ago – began on Thursday morning, with around 200 trucks blocking off traffic on Barcelona's Ronda Litoral ring road.

Hours later, around 300 workers who load and unload goods at the Barcelona Port for transport companies gathered in front of the Spanish government delegation offices in the Catalan capital to voice their anger at rising prices.

The ongoing trucker strike in Barcelona and other parts of Spain has forced Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez to move talks with National Road Transport Committee up a day given the impact these protests have had on the economy.

And while Spain's finance minister María Jesús Montero is "convinced" authorities and drivers will be able to reach an agreement on Thursday that will allow them to revert supply chain disruptions, truckers from the Transport Defense Platform, which are behind the Ronda Litoral strike, remain unconvinced.

"It doesn't make any sense," Manuel Hernández of the Transport Defense Platform said in an interview with Rac1 radio station. "I don't understand why authorities don't deal with the problem and call us to come meet with them at the ministry." 

The Transport Defense Platform blasted the National Road Transport Committee as well as the CCOO and UGT trade unions, which it has accused of benefiting from public subsidies, and denied ties to far-right party Vox as has been suggested by critics.

"I don't vote for Vox, but what would be the problem if I did?" Hernández asked. Vox has expressed its support for truck drivers on multiple occasions and even held a demonstration on March 19 in Barcelona against price hikes. 

Montero, however, maintained that authorities are meeting with the sector's "legitimate representatives."

Meanwhile, the Spanish Federation of Food and Beverage Businesses has estimated that every day the strike goes on, the sector loses another €100 million. 

Mauricio García de Quevedo, who heads the federation, warned on Thursday that the situation was "critical." "There are companies that have closed and businesses that are considering furloughs," he added. 

Potential measures

Spain's finance minister has stated that the only way to bring fuel prices down is by providing truck drivers with subsidies as fuel taxes are already low.

According to Montero, oil companies also have to contribute to bringing down costs.