The exclusion of Alstom from a €331 million tender to build 39 new trains for the Barcelona Metro has sparked a political, business, and labour dispute in Catalonia.
Barcelona City Council applied a new rule banning companies listed by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) for operating in Israeli settlements. Alstom was included due to past involvement of a subsidiary in maintaining a tram line in Jerusalem.
The unions CCOO and UGT argue that the list is outdated and inaccurate, insisting Alstom no longer operates in the occupied territories. They warn the decision puts at risk the 1,100 direct jobs at Alstom’s Santa Perpètua de Mogoda plant and around 3,500 indirect jobs across Catalonia.
Union leaders stressed they oppose the “genocide in Gaza”, but urged authorities to apply the rules with rigorous verification to avoid unnecessary damage to Catalonia’s rail industry.
Alstom has filed a legal appeal against the veto, while Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) is waiting for the court’s decision before awarding the contract.
