Nobody knows what effect the road-haulage strike will have starting today as the drivers themselves are split on whether it is justifiable.
The whole sector is not involved, just the Plataforma para la Defensa del Transporte, whose members are autónomos (self-employed). The rest of the sector has already stated that they will not back it.
This platform called a strike in March, which was backed by the whole sector and which did have damaging effect, so much so that the Central Government implemented many of the demands made by the strikers.
However, this time round, quite a few self-employed drivers can’t afford to strike – they have to cope with mortgage repayments, bank-loans on vehicle purchases, etc. It’s a struggle enough already just putting food on the table.
Then there is the agricultural sector for whom a road-haulage strike would be disastrous; when something is picked, it has to be moved and fast.
There are those that joined the strike in March but are not so willing to do so now, partly because they feel that they managed to wring enough concessions from the Government and that further strike action will not achieve more, and partly because that another round of damage to the economy like the first time will have a boomerang effect, perhaps.
(News: Spain)