While spokespersons for the Govern and the management of Rodalies de Catalunya spread a message of calm, promising a “progressive resumption of service” for early Thursday, the driving staff already had the opposite order via private channels. Semaf sent an internal memo to its affiliates flatly denying the return to normalcy that the Administration was selling to the public in the night news.
Given the biased information being provided in different media about a supposed reopening of the service, tomorrow at 6:00 AM we confirm that it will not happen.
The reason for the blockade transcends the usual labor conflict and is framed by the safety concerns triggered after the derailment last Tuesday in Gelida. The Semaf message detailed that the company’s proposals for guarantees to save Thursday's operation were considered “highly insufficient” by the social side.
The union's demand is clear: until Adif “certifies the status of the lines” in writing, the drivers refuse to operate, turning the day into a de facto work-to-rule strike. This situation has caused particularly dramatic chaos in the southern area, where the stretch towards Sitges and Vilanova i la Geltrú has become a genuine “mousetrap” due to the lack of alternative buses.
