Trade unions call for 2-day partial strike on Rodalies rail network

Two trade unions, UGT and CCOO, have called for a two-day partial strike on February 16 and 17 on the Rodalies commuter rail network in Catalonia.

The reason for the strike, according to the unions, is that their “repeated” demands for more staff have not been heard.

Specifically, the UGT and the CCOO cite the need for conductors on trains, more staff at train stations, and, above all, staff at the Rodalies management centers, since the current situation is “seriously worsening the quality of the service.”

Deal with Spain

Problems with Rodalies are not new and were part of the reason pro-independence party Esquerra Republicana wanted to negotiate a deal with the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) to see control of the commuter rail network transferred from Spain to Catalonia. 

A deal was reached in November 2023 and part of it was that the Catalan government would receive more than €500 million from Spain in 2024.