During the previous months and weeks, demonstrations and strikes have been carried out by the workers of the HABISA bus service in Vitoria-Gasteiz, announcing that, if no prior agreement was reached, an indefinite strike would begin on Saturday 10 February. Workers’ representatives say that the union between workers is “absolute”, both in the claim box and in the decision to start an indefinite strike.

The last mobilization before the strike took place on Friday, and although the days and hours before there were meetings and contacts with the Municipal Government of Vitoria, “with what is now, tomorrow strike,” said Asier López de Sabando, spokesman for the works council. The weekend has not improved. The workers point out that since the start of the strike there has been “no contact” with the City Hall and that they are “pending” to “resolve the conflict”.

The Works Committee also notes that the “100%” of the workforce is following the strike: “No bus has left that does not belong to minority services.”

Staff demands

Workers are calling for improvements in both their working conditions and the public service. They denounce, among other things, the shortage of buses and "obsolescence", which although the time needed to complete some journeys has been prolonged, there have been no changes in the ratios or not all the hours actually worked in the computation of the day have been counted. Alavés spokesman López de Sabando was interviewed by Alea, who, in addition to exposing his demands, assured that the union among workers is total and that it has received great understanding from the citizens.

Iñaki Gurtubai, President of HABISA and PNV councillor, opposed the strike on Saturday through a press release. "There is no reason to strike against the public service of Vitoria," he said. It says that the workers of HABISA "by far, the best collective agreement of the city council". On the contrary, according to the workers, the attitude of Gurtubai and PSE Mayor Maider Etxebarria has led to an indefinite strike of conflicts.

They state that “decent working conditions that prioritize health and service improvement” are being demanded, so the Municipal Government PSE-PNV is “incomprehensible”. López de Sabando responded to Gurtubai's statements: "The HABISA agreement can be good or not, but if it is not fulfilled… we will remember that it is the most judicialized company of Álava for non-compliance". He accuses the City Council of lying about the working conditions of the workers.