Ultimatum from Alicante's Interurban Bus Drivers: Indefinite Strike Looms Without Immediate Agreement

Negotiations between the Works Council of Alicante's interurban buses and the concessionaire are at a standstill. Unless there is a breakthrough leading to an agreement, interurban public transport will return to an indefinite strike. Read more

The union announced this in a statement, heavily criticising the Department of Mobility for "neglect and improvisation" in Alicante's metropolitan transport due to the "lack of planning by the department".

The Works Council warns that if the situation persists, "the service will be forced into an indefinite strike," a scenario the union deems "avoidable" but demands "immediate, serious, and real solutions".

In this regard, drivers demand "the immediate formalisation of a new emergency contract that corrects and addresses all deficiencies of the current contract." Secondly, the majority union insists that this new emergency contract "includes all service lines, including the airport line, avoiding the interested fragmentation of the system." They also demand "the assumption and dignification of the workforce's working conditions, with investments, stability, and real service organisation."

The Works Council itself expresses concern among the workforce because the emergency contract CE-705 "ends in August and it is unclear whether a new emergency contract will be formalised or the current one extended. Union sources explain that "as of today, despite the Works Council's continuous requests, the Department has not confirmed the service extension for January 1, 2026, preventing the approval of rest days, shifts, holidays, and public holidays for the entire workforce."

The workforce also denounces the "lack of investment in vehicles and facilities" and criticises that the fleet is "obsolete, polluting, and inaccessible, resorting to old buses from regions where they were already retired."

Alcoi's bus will also go on strike. The majority union, CGT, has announced that there will be a strike on November 20 and 21, while the indefinite strike, if no agreement is reached, will begin on December 9.