Commuters and visitors to Barcelona face significant travel disruption as train drivers for Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) have announced five days of industrial action, strategically timed to coincide with the Mobile World Congress (MWC), the city’s largest annual technology conference.
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The SEMAF train drivers’ union has called for stoppages on 24-25 February and 2-4 March. Significantly, these latter dates directly overlap with the first three days of the Mobile World Congress, Barcelona’s biggest tech conference. This period always strains the city’s public transport network due to tens of thousands of international attendees.
A union source, speaking to the ACN news agency, stated the strike aims to force improvements in network safety and address a dozen outstanding demands. This action comes amid heightened sensitivity surrounding rail safety in Catalonia, following recent incidents on the separate Rodalies network.
Company Expresses Surprise Over “Artificious” Strike
In a strongly worded statement, the publicly-owned operator Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya expressed “surprise” at the strike call, calling it “artificious and highly damaging.” FGC management argues this action is particularly harmful, as it targets a time “when the railway sector across the country faces important challenges to achieve stabilisation.”
The company questioned the strike’s mandate, highlighting SEMAF’s “minority” representation of just 13% within the workers’ committee. FGC also claims, as Metrópoli Abierta reported, that the safety concerns cited by the union “have never been formally brought to the attention of the company’s management.”
Conflicting Accounts of Negotiations
The two sides present conflicting narratives regarding negotiations. While SEMAF insists that “talks and negotiations with the company are underway,” FGC flatly denies this, stating, “there is currently no open negotiation process with the committee.”
Despite this, FGC confirmed participation in a mediation process, facilitated by the Catalan government’s Departament d’Empresa i Treball (Department of Business and Labour). During these talks, the company offered to address the union’s points at an extraordinary safety committee meeting scheduled for 25 February. However, according to a betevé report, the mediation ended in disagreement.
In its statement, FGC reaffirmed its commitment to safety, asserting that safety “prevails over any other criterion.” The company added that its management systems guarantee the highest safety levels. FGC has also pledged to maintain open dialogue to avoid the labour conflict.
Minimum Services and Passenger Information
With strike dates looming, minimum service levels are yet to be established. FGC has assured the public it will provide service “in compliance with the dictates of the Generalitat’s Department of Business and Labour.”
Passengers should monitor FGC’s official channels for real-time updates during the strike days. The company will provide information on service alterations via its X profile, official website, and mobile application.
The planned FGC strike, affecting key commuter lines in and around Barcelona, threatens widespread inconvenience. This will particularly impact MWC attendees relying on the service to travel between the city centre and the Fira Gran Via exhibition centre.
