Spanish railway staff expected to strike for better safety

 

TT

Published 14:45

         

        The strike, scheduled for Thursday, includes demands for improved railway safety. File photo.                    Photo: Manu Fernandez/AP/TT

Employees of Spain’s state-owned railway operator, Renfe, are expected to take part in a pre-planned strike on Thursday.

The union’s list of demands includes, among other things, better safety.

The strike, announced earlier in October, is set to last for 24 hours, beginning at midnight heading into Thursday. Two very serious accidents have occurred in Spain within a short period. More than 60 people died in a train collision south of Madrid on Wednesday.

The trade union Semaf is organizing the strike, which centers on demands for improved railway safety, procedures for extreme weather conditions, and regulations regarding the hiring of new train drivers.