Bilbao (EFE).- The strike in Bizkaibus that is seconded again by the workers of the public transport service affects thousands of users from Biscay.
The buses of four of the five Bizkaibus concessionaires circulate in minimum services due to the strike that their workers second in demand of the agreement.
The collective called to strike adds up to a thousand people. These are the workers of Ezkerraldea Meatzaldea (EMB), Vectalia Txoriherri, Busturia Lea Artibai (BLB) and Vectalia Enkarterri.
Traffic problems
Since eight in the morning they have demonstrated in Bilbao in columns that have started from different places to come together around 11:00 am in front of the foral palace, on the Gran Vía.
The demonstration in front of the headquarters of the Bizkaia Provincial Council, responsible for Bizkaibus, was attended by the general secretary of the CCOO, Unai Sordo, and the head of the union in Euskadi, Loli García.
The protest, which has affected the accesses to Bilbao through Basurto and Juan de Garay, has caused traffic problems to the despair of drivers.
The biggest problems have occurred from shortly before eight in the morning until around 10:00 a.m., according to municipal sources.
Halted negotiations
After several days of strike and numerous mobilizations, the negotiations to renew the respective agreements in the aforementioned companies remain at a standstill.
Despite this, “the squad is very strong” and willing to go “to the end”, warned the president of the Ezkerraldea Meatzaldea (EMB) committee, Juan Carlos González.
In statements to journalists, he has demanded the involvement of the Bizkaia Provincial Council to “force” companies to sit down and negotiate a “fair” agreement.
The only concessionaire that provides service normally is Avanza Durangaldea, in which a wage increase around the CPI has been agreed in the agreement.
union warnings
The unions are demanding the same salary increase in the other four concessionaires in Bizkaia, which, according to their regret, are “comfortable” with the situation because “nobody is pressing them.”
“They know that we are not going to stop until we get that fair agreement,” said the union representative.
“It is not acceptable that the Transport deputy and the general deputy are allowing this wage discrimination and this inequality within the Bizkaibus collective”, he said.
As he has warned, “it is not a pleasant dish to continue with the strike, but if we have no other choice, we will continue to do so, until they listen to us.”
The workers of the four Bizkaibus concessionaires in conflict have called new strike days and different protests until the month of March. EFE
