The Spanish Ministry of Transport is currently engaged in negotiations with labor unions to avert a strike at Adif and Renfe starting at midnight.

The walkout, set to last for several days, is expected to result in the cancellation of nearly 1,400 passenger trains during its initial five days—March 17, 19, 24, 26, and 28—out of a total of seven scheduled days of action.

Renfe has announced the suspension of 1,383 trains from its schedule of 4,260, including 428 high-speed and long-distance trains as well as 955 medium-distance trains.

Additionally, 740 freight services are also affected during these strike days, which will continue on April 1 and 3.

The strikes have been called by the General Committees of Renfe and Adif, comprising the labor unions Semaf, CCOO, UGT, CGT, SF-I, and SCF, in response to the government's failure to adhere to agreements made in 2023 pertaining to Rodalies and Renfe Mercancías.

This situation echoes events from November 23, 2023, when last-minute negotiations resulted in a similar agreement, averting a strike that was to be conducted for the same reasons.

Under the November agreement, the Spanish government committed to ensuring that Renfe and Adif would continue as the primary providers of Rodalies and Renfe Mercancías services, while also maintaining the integrity of the workforce within both public companies and establishing working groups to facilitate cooperative solutions.

However, unions assert that these commitments have been breached following announcements regarding the exclusion of the R1 line (Maresme) from the General Railway Network (RFIG) and the establishment of a mixed company for Rodalies, which would incrementally take over operational activities of Renfe and Adif.

The creation of the mixed company, backed by ERC as part of the agreement for Salvador Illa's investiture as the president of Catalonia, has sparked contention among union representatives, who view these measures as a total break from previous accords.

They argue that solutions being coordinated between the Ministry and the Catalan government deviate significantly from what was agreed upon.

In a negotiation held last Friday, the Ministry presented a draft agreement proposing that the new operator of Rodalies, upon completion of the transfer to the Generalitat, would be integrated within the Renfe group, and that Adif would assume full responsibility for the R1 line, the first to be transitioned to the Generalitat's control.

These proposals reportedly aim to ensure the protection of labor rights for Renfe and Adif workers, although they entail significant changes to existing agreements with the government of Salvador Illa and ERC, which stipulated that the Generalitat would hold the majority within the new operational management of Rodalies.

Sílvia Paneque, the Consellera of Territory for the Generalitat, claimed that it is "absolutely compatible" to ensure social, labor, and mobility rights for Renfe employees while also honoring commitments regarding Rodalies’ transfer.

She emphasized that the mixed enterprise managing Rodalies would feature a balanced governing council composed equally of state and Generalitat representatives, with the presidency being selected by the Generalitat through a "quality vote."

Concerns have also been raised regarding Renfe Mercancías, as employee representatives accuse the government of facilitating a covert privatization through the establishment of a new company controlled by the logistics firm MSC.

They allege that the ongoing deterioration of the public enterprise is being enabled by actions such as refraining from competing for new workload contracts and impeding commercial efforts to secure clients.

In terms of essential services during the strike, the Ministry of Transport has enacted minimum service resolutions.

For commuter trains, 75% of the usual service will be guaranteed during peak hours, with a 50% average maintained for the remainder of the day.

For medium-distance services, 65% of current operations are to be maintained, allowing 1,781 trains to run out of 2,736 impacted during the strike days.

High-speed and long-distance trains will see 72% of their services operational, resulting in 1,096 trains running out of 1,524 affected.

Potent demand on strike days is anticipated, with Renfe able to expect approximately 255,211 potential travelers, alongside an estimated 74,892 customers needing alternative transport due to delays.

For freight services, only 24% of the scheduled operations are set to run, translating to 234 of the 974 impacted trains maintaining service during this disruption.

The strike schedule includes full-day walkouts on March 17 and 26, as well as April 1, while the remaining strike days will involve partial stoppages at specific times throughout the day.

Notably, the March 19 strike will occur from 06:00 to 09:00, 14:00 to 17:00, and 21:00 to 23:00; March 24 will see actions from 06:30 to 09:30, 14:30 to 17:30, and 20:30 to 22:30; and March 28 will operate within the same initial timeframe as March 19, with an additional period from 20:30 to 23:00. On April 3, partial strikes will also be scheduled from 06:30 to 09:30, 14:30 to 17:30, and 21:00 to 23:00.