A protracted labour dispute involving bus drivers in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat has culminated in a significant legal victory against transport operator Moventis. A court declared substantial changes to their working conditions, unilaterally imposed by the company, “unjustified,” ordering the firm to restore the previous terms.
Your browser does not support the video tag.
The ruling, which Moventis can appeal, marks a critical juncture. This conflict has caused persistent service disruptions across the major Barcelona metropolitan area city since the operator took over the service in April 2024. L’Hospitalet, a densely populated municipality, has seen its share of public safety issues, including recent news of a mother being investigated for assaulting a teacher and a police raid on a local drug den, making reliable public transport all the more vital for its residents.
The Unjustified Changes
The dispute centres on changes implemented by Marfina Bus, a subsidiary of the Moventis group, on 7 January 2025. The company invoked Article 41 of the Spanish Workers’ Statute. This legal mechanism allows companies to modify employment terms for economic, technical, organisational, or production reasons.
These modifications fundamentally altered the drivers’ schedules. The work week changed from a standard Monday to Friday, with optional weekend work, to a mandatory seven-day rotating schedule, requiring all drivers to cover weekend shifts. Additionally, the holiday calendar, previously concentrated between June and September, spread throughout the entire year.
According to court documents accessed by El Periódico, Moventis defended the restructuring as a “legal and necessary mechanism to align working conditions with the current demands of the contract and guarantee the sustainability of the public service.” However, the judge found the company’s evidence lacking.
The ruling states Moventis failed to provide sufficient proof of the alleged “dysfunctions” and “misalignments” justifying such a substantial overhaul. The judge determined the company’s arguments “reside more in the realm of perceptions… than in the concrete evidence provided,” thus declaring the measure “unjustified.”
A Victory for Workers
Eduardo Migallón, president of the Marfina Bus works council in L’Hospitalet, hailed the decision as a major win. “The sentence is very favourable for us,” he said, describing it as a “first victory against a multinational,” even while acknowledging that “not everything is won.”
Migallón highlighted the human toll of the dispute, claiming that “more than 100 drivers have left” since the changes were enforced. He expressed hope that the ruling could set a precedent for protecting workers’ rights in other public transport contracts, especially as most intercity bus concessions in Catalonia are due for renewal in 2028.
“This can help the rights of workers in other bus contracts ahead of future tenders.” – Eduardo Migallón, President of the Marfina Bus works council
For its part, a spokesperson for Moventis stated that the company will study the ruling internally before deciding on its next steps early next week. An appeal to the High Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC) remains a possibility.
Broader Implications and Service Failures
While the court sided with the drivers on the lack of justification, it did not find in their favour on all counts. The judge rejected the union’s request to have the changes nullified entirely, noting that Moventis had followed the formal legal procedures for communication and consultation required by the Workers’ Statute. The issue was the substance of their justification, not the process.
The labour conflict has been the backdrop to widespread passenger complaints and service failures. The Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona (AMB), the public body managing transport in the region, has already sanctioned Moventis three times, with the latest fine amounting to €325,000. These disruptions highlight the delicate balance between corporate management, workers’ rights, and the public’s need for reliable services. This theme is also seen in other public sector disputes, such as the recent court ruling on civil servant bonuses.
As residents and authorities continue to grapple with transport issues, such as the recent alterations to bus routes in nearby Esplugues, this ruling places a spotlight on the operational decisions that directly impact both employees and thousands of daily commuters.
