Coach Driver Strike causes mass disruption

An estimated 12'000 coach passengers were affected by today's strike action as Auto Res workers held their first full day of industrial action, with a threat of further strikes to be held over the coming weeks.

It is thought that only 30% of all coach services were operational today, which is the minimum level that the unions are obliged to provide.

The unions called the strike after company bosses refused to negotiate with them over their concerns of 15 people being made redundant in June and a 5% salary cut was proposed, rising to a cut of over 8% for drivers.

Further days of strike action have been planned for August, and workers are threatening an indefinite strike in September if company bosses do not enter into negotiations.

Aside from today's action, further strikes have been planned for August 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 21st, 29th and 31st and on September 1st.

Auto Res, which belongs to the Avanza group, has 400 employees, of which 270 are drivers.

Some of the busiest and most important routes originate from Madrid and serve a number of towns along the Mediterranean coast, such as Valencia, Castellón, Peñíscola, Benicasim and Oropesa, as well as routes between the capital and Vigo and Pontevedra, in Galicia.