The works councils of Renfe and Adif have initiated a five-day strike to protest a recent deal between the PSOE and ERC that transfers Rodalies management to the Generalitat. About 30,000 employees are anticipated to participate, with broad halts planned across Spain from November 24 to 30, and additional actions on December 1, 4, and 5. The timing could complicate operations around the Constitution Bridge as workers prepare to step away from their duties during these days.
The unions behind the call, namely CCOO, UGT, and Semaf, seek to curb the number of trains in service from Cadiz to Girona. The announcement followed a round of discussions with the acting Minister of Transport and other officials, and was confirmed by multiple sources familiar with the talks.
Renfe, Ouigo and Iryo will be able to install self-consumption plants to reduce train electricity bills
Renfe and Adif employees have long resisted a transfer of broader authority to the Generalitat, a stance that traces back years. As of now, and despite ongoing negotiations, a comprehensive transfer agreement between the PSOE and ERC remains unlikely. Strikes in recent years have been organized by a united front of the leading public transport unions — CCOO, UGT, and Semaf — and the tempo of these actions varies among them.
For example, the machinists’ union argues that conditions should remain aligned with those present when the PSOE-ERC framework was drawn up. Their central fear is that smaller public entities could see workers’ rights weakened during a transfer, potentially leading to divergent or less favorable conditions for the newly moved staff compared with the rest of the workforce. Their stance is therefore a direct protest against the Rodalies handover.
CCOO’s position has its own nuance. Catalonia’s federation notes that they have historically supported devolving management to bring services closer to citizens and to strengthen regional autonomy. Yet they emphasize that under the current terms announced by the deputy minister, there aren’t enough assurances to protect the working conditions of the employees who would be transferred.
The unions are waiting to set fresh meetings with the Ministry to narrow gaps and possibly avert a strike. If no deal is reached to suspend the mobilizations, the state will be obliged to declare minimum service levels. Looking back at the 2021 Rodalies strikes, minimums reached roughly 75% of peak trains and 50% during off-peak hours, with 65% for medium-distance routes, 72% for longer routes, and cargo services largely curtailed. These figures illustrate the scale of disruption that could accompany this round of industrial action.
On the government side, the Generalitat has been reaching out to the main employers and union figures in Catalonia to schedule a fresh round of talks to work out the details of Rodalies’ transfer. The calls reinforce a push toward dialogue in the hopes of avoiding widespread disruption.
political agreement
Since the agreement surfaced, unions have criticized the lack of clarity on how the transfer will affect staff working conditions in both the operator and the infrastructure manager. The Ministry maintains that what has been reached is a political framework, not a technical blueprint, and that many details still need to be worked out before any transfer proceeds.
Both the sitting government and the Generalitat insist that workers’ rights will be protected and that the transfer will be accompanied by a mobility-friendly cooperation deal between the Generalitat and Renfe, aimed at ensuring the continuity of labor rights and facilitating smoother transitions. The government has pledged to explain the mechanism of the transfer to unions and to ensure that management remains under public ownership throughout the process.
If the PSOE secures the continued leadership of Pedro Sánchez, the arrangement is expected to apply first to routes serving the public, including lines R1, R2, and R3. The broader Catalan railway network would then be evaluated for future transfers, provided these actions do not disrupt rail traffic or cross-border service beyond what is necessary, do not involve freight movements, or can be separated from different regional operations. The overarching aim is to safeguard national rail interests while exploring a structured and orderly transfer where possible.
Public commentators emphasize that the roadmaps for Rodalies’ future governance will be scrutinized for their impact on service reliability, worker protections, and regional autonomy. The discussions continue amid a charged political climate, where the balance between local empowerment and national oversight remains a central theme of the dialogue surrounding Rodalies’ governance and its long-term operation.