The Spanish Railway Machinists’ Union, Semaf, has announced four planned strike days within the Renfe Group for the coming month. The action targets alleged breaches of certain clauses related to the Workday and the Employment Plan outlined in the III Collective Agreement.
Following an unsuccessful meeting of the Conflict Commission, Semaf decided last Monday to call for three 24-hour strikes on March 1, 4, and 12, along with a series of partial stoppages scheduled for March 6.
“The leaders within the Group fail to anticipate Human Resources processes, as authorities from the Ministries of Transport and Finance have frozen authorizations needed for staff replacements,” the union stated in a press release.
The suspension of the Employment Plan would halt all human resources activities across the group. This includes new hires under the Open Public Employment Offer (OPE), transfers between depots and rail yards, and the broader Plan for Departures and Partial Retirement agreements.
The disruption to employment processes is described by Semaf as a breach of workers’ rights and a disruption for railway users. The union notes that planning failures and the pause in HR procedures have led to understaffing at several depots, which in turn risks the elimination of some train services.
Semaf warns that without a swift resolution, the situation will deteriorate further and passenger service will suffer a drastic decline for travelers.
These developments come amid ongoing tensions between the union and Renfe’s management over staffing, planning, and the implementation of the III Collective Agreement’s employment provisions. The union asserts that timely decisions by government ministries are essential to restore normal operations and safeguard both workers and customers in the rail network. (Semaf statement, March 2025)