Cuenca transport sector resumes collective agreement negotiations in August

Employers and unions in the road freight transport sector of Cuenca province have scheduled a meeting for the first week of August to resume negotiations for the collective agreement, following the halt in March due to the rise in fuel prices.

Employers and unions in the road freight transport sector of Cuenca province will sit down to negotiate again in the first week of August. The meeting, which does not yet have a specific date, will be held at the headquarters of the Labour Arbitration Jury of Cuenca, according to union sources.

Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) has been the union that has taken the initiative to reactivate the dialogue. The organization has appealed “to the good faith of the employers to know as soon as possible their response to the proposals made by the unions and to genuinely start the negotiation,” according to a statement released this week.

A stalled agreement for months

The talks were interrupted in March, shortly after they began, when the employers' association Acutrans-CEOE justified the suspension due to “the unstoppable rise in fuel prices,” caused by the conflict in the Middle East and its impact on energy markets. In July, the employers' association already expressed its willingness to resume talks “despite the fact that the economy still shows some threats.”

Now, with the return to the negotiating table, CCOO has made it clear that “there will be no renunciation of the application of the new agreement with retroactive effect from January 1.” The union hopes to reach an agreement that allows for progress in rights and the recovery of the purchasing power of workers in the sector in the province.

What is at stake for Cuenca's transport workers

The agreement affects around 2,500 workers in the road freight transport sector in Cuenca, a key sector for the provincial economy. The negotiation will address salary increases, working conditions, and compensation for rising operational costs, especially fuel. The unions are seeking an increase that recovers the purchasing power lost in recent years, while the employers will try to balance the demands with the profitability of the companies, many of which are family SMEs.

The August meeting will be crucial to unblock an agreement that has not been renewed since 2023. If no agreement is reached, it could escalate to mediation or industrial conflict. For now, both parties are giving themselves a few weeks to find common ground.

For self-employed transport workers and small fleets in the province, the outcome of this negotiation will have a direct impact on their income and the viability of their businesses. The return to dialogue is, at least, a sign that the sector is not willing to let the agreement die.