In brief
Semaf's walkout runs from 00:01 to 23:59 on Thursday, 29 October, across all Renfe Group companies and targets all driving staff.
Semaf says the commitments signed in February are blocked administratively. Renfe says it has fulfilled all of its own commitments and that 17 of 24 outside measures are done.
Six strike days run from 30 October to 8 December, including 24-hour stoppages on 30 October and 2 November, coinciding with the Todos los Santos, Almudena and Constitución bridges.
- 16 OctCommission talks fail and Semaf calls a 24-hour strike
- 29 Oct24-hour strike across Renfe Group companies
- 30 OctOuigo strike begins with a 24-hour stoppage
The strike call
The Semaf union has called a 24-hour strike for Thursday, 29 October, running from 00:01 to 23:59 across every company in the Renfe Group. The walkout is aimed at all driving staff, who would stop work for the full day. The call followed a meeting of the Conflict Commission on Friday, 16 October, where the parties failed to agree. That body brings together worker representatives, the Ministry of Transport, the rail infrastructure manager Adif, the Spanish Railway Safety Agency (AESF) and Renfe. The union says the walkout will disrupt Cercanías, Rodalies and high-speed services across Spain, while Iryo and Ouigo are not part of it.
Dispute over the February agreements
Semaf argues that the commitments signed in February have been stalled by an administrative blockade. The measures it lists cover railway safety, emergency protocols for weather events, hiring of new drivers, response to run-over incidents and the reliability of rolling stock. Renfe rejects that account and says it has carried out every commitment it made under the agreement of 9 February, which lifted the strikes planned for 10 and 11 February after the Adamuz accident.
“Renfe has fulfilled all the commitments it made in the agreement reached on 9 February to strengthen the rail system after the Adamuz accident.”
Of the 24 remaining measures outside its remit, Renfe says 17 have been executed while seven are still moving through administrative, regulatory and technical procedures. It also says it has pushed a hiring tranche of up to 1,200 workers and that many of the demands were never part of the talks on the fourth collective agreement.
- Executed
- 17 measures
- Still in procedure
- 7 measures
Data from the article text
The union's position and its demands
In its statement, Semaf accused the administration and the companies of hiding behind bureaucratic slowness, and it said the meeting left the situation unchanged.
“Everything remains as paralysed as it was in May.”
The union wants binding protocols for weather alerts, clear rules for communications in risk situations, a direct channel between the parties including the Labour Inspectorate, and real technical fixes for rolling-stock problems. It also wants the retirement-age reduction coefficients unlocked and the measures agreed on 7 May for new promotions applied. The dispute follows the Adamuz accident, which left 46 dead according to La Razón, and the Gelida accident, in which a Rodalies train driver died. Semaf has also asked the Ministry not to set minimum services, arguing that Renfe and Iryo already cover the essential service. In February, minimum services ranged from 21% for freight to 73% for high-speed trains.
Ouigo strike and the wider disruption
Semaf has also called a six-day strike at Ouigo, with 24-hour stoppages on 30 October and 2 November. Partial stoppages follow on 6 and 9 November and on 4 and 8 December, each covering 06:00 to 12:00 and 18:00 to 23:59. The Ouigo dates coincide with the Todos los Santos, Almudena and Constitución bridges. Earlier in October, a Semaf walkout caused chaos on Rodalies, and on Monday, 12 October, a fire on a high-speed train at Ricla (Zaragoza) interrupted the Madrid to Barcelona line. Speed restrictions on that corridor were still causing delays when the strike was announced.