Guide Note

A strike by truck drivers in Spain has led to fresh food shortages in the country. A simultaneous strike by fishermen has led to a shortage of fish.

Fast Facts

1. Strike reason: High fuel prices
2. Union striking: Fenadismer
3. Number of strikers: Over 90,000¹
4. Strikes also taking place in Portugal, France
5. Strike demand: Government fuel price assistance, guaranteed minimum haulage rates
6. Strike is open-ended

Escalating fuel prices have led self-employed Spanish truck drivers to strike. They are demanding minimum prices for their work, fearing that rising fuel prices mean large trucking conglomerates will undercut them. The government refuses to agree to a mandatory minimum. Drivers have been blockading food markets and slowing down roads. Truck drivers are refusing to drive their routes, meaning food and fuel are not reaching their destinations.