These are the minimum services before the bus strike in Barcelona during La Mercè

  • Order 40% of the usual service at rush hour for this Thursday, 33% of journeys during partial stoppages on holidays and 20% for the rest of the days

The disagreement between Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) and the unions is leading Barcelona to a bus strike that is expected to begin this midnight, just before the start of the Mercè. Given the disagreement that pushes the city to a new round of strikes in public transport during the festival, the Department of Business and Labor of the Generalitat has decreed minimal services to try to minimize inconvenience for passengers.

The ‘conselleria’ has ordered that the 40% of the usual bus service from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. this Thursday, when the unions with representation in the company committee have called a 24-hour strike day. For the rest of the day, the Generalitat urges to guarantee 20% of the usual routes and one neighborhood bus per line.

The strike will last from September 23 to 30 with partial stoppages, from 02:00 to 04:00, from 10:00 to 12:00 and from 21:00 to 23:00. It coincides with the days of the festival, with a multitude of activities at different times throughout the city. Given the possibility of affectations, the Generalitat urges to maintain a 33% of the service during the time slots in which stoppages are scheduled between September 24 and 26, coinciding with the festivities for La Mercè. The minimum services are lowered to 20% for the three strike times on September 23, 27, 28, 29 and 30.

The decree of the Generalitat states that “it is necessary to ensure consistent mobility at a percentage higher than the usual service” during the 24th of September and the following three days of the major festival. In this sense, he alleges that “there are various social, cultural and festive activities scheduled in various parts of Barcelona, ​​which involve great citizen mobility & rdquor ;.

The reasons for the protest

Unions ACTUB, CGT, SIT, CCOO and UGT support the call for a strike on TMB buses, which has a workforce of 4,459 workers. The representatives of the workers denounce that the dependent company of the Metropolitan Area of ​​Barcelona maintains frozen the negotiations to review the collective agreement and demand a wage increase to compensate for inflation.

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At the same time, They attribute poor management to the company that, as they say, causes “health damage & rdquor; from the workers. The Labor Inspectorate has warned in recent weeks about the accumulation of pending rest days that are usually due to bus drivers in Barcelona.

For its part, TMB accuses the unions of having broken off the negotiations, clinging to “maximalist” demands & rdquor; and without meeting the offer of the company. The company has promised to try to maintain contacts throughout this Wednesday to try to call off the strike.

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