The banking sector is facing a major strike day this Friday as bank employees take part in a widespread walkout. This protest also involves DXC, one of the top consultants responsible for maintaining CaixaBank and Banc Sabadell’s applications, which has left both institutions on alert. Unions report a participation rate that exceeds 70 percent and warn that services accessed online for banking and cash withdrawals from ATMs could be affected.
Following a year in which many financial firms reported record profits, workers in the sector are urging that the current period of success be reflected in their pay. According to unions including CCOO, UGT, and FINE, roughly 80,000 people, representing about 75.8 percent of the workforce, have joined the strike.
The bank employee protests extend to the ranks of the CXCs major consultant, DXC. IT staff at this company are entering their second day of strike this Friday after achieving a 70 percent turnout on the first day, as tallied by unions. DXC employs about 7,500 people, and the call to walk out has been issued by CGT, CCOO, CSI, USO, Intersindical-CSC, and some UGT delegates to demand higher salaries.
DXC provides IT services to large Spanish operators, from CaixaBank and Banc Sabadell to energy firms like Naturgy, and to Renfe with its telematic ticketing systems. Their web applications are being maintained by the company, and the protests risk leaving unresolved issues that could disrupt user services. Some users reported problems while trying to buy Renfe tickets on Thursday, the first day of strike action, though similar outages have occurred on days without a DXC labor action.
The strike at DXC centers on wages, with current talks between management and unions yielding no meaningful progress. The unions estimate that staff purchasing power has declined by around 17 percent since the onset of the pandemic. To push for salary improvements that offset this erosion, the unions have scheduled additional walkouts. As things stand, unless a deal is reached to deactivate the strikes, there are interruptions planned at DXC on April 29 and 30 and on June 3, 4, and 5.
Despite wage growth lagging behind inflation in recent years, Catalunya reports relatively low levels of labor conflict compared with other periods. Data compiled by the Generalitat de Catalunya’s Departament de Treball show that between January and November 2023 a total of 789,461 work hours were lost to labor disputes, the lowest figure seen since 2017. The current wave of industrial action forms part of a broader pattern of worker mobilization in sectors influenced by high demand for skilled IT and back-office support, with unions highlighting the need for sustainable salary increases and improved working conditions.