The UGT and CC OO unions have called a strike at service stations across Spain on April 30 and May 3, coinciding with the beginning and end of the May Day long weekend, with the aim of unblocking the negotiation of their collective agreement.
Read more El Salvador begins a massive trial against 486 members of Mara Salvatrucha
After months of negotiations in which partial advances had been made seeking to improve wages and rights, the unions say in a note, the employers’ association has taken an “unacceptable” step backward, by withdrawing some proposals and putting a “clearly regressive” economic offer on the table. The unions (UGT FICA and CC OO Industria) agree that this is a direct attack on the workforce.
The strike is called for April 30, 2026, from 12:00 to 16:00, and May 3, 2026, for the entire 24-hour day. That day coincides with the return operation of the May long weekend, with the aim of making the strike evident at petrol stations throughout Spain.
⛽ PETROL STATION STRIKE DURING MAY LONG WEEKEND
Strike at service stations on April 30 and May 3 due to employer blockade and cuts.
PETROL PRICES THROUGH THE ROOF AND WAGES ON THE FLOOR. THEY ARE MAKING A KILLING
Why it matters:
While companies… pic.twitter.com/DrWGocG5n2— CCOO de Industria #PactoIndustriaYA (@Industria_CCOO) April 17, 2026
The unions demand a minimum annual salary increase of 2% and a guarantee mechanism that ensures, at least, an update in line with the real CPI plus 0.5%, to preserve the purchasing power of workers, according to the note.
Read more Eyes that don’t see… Why these animal parks are vital against biodiversity loss
In addition to a complaint about the lack of progress in areas such as work-life balance, reduced working hours, or improvements in bonuses. The statement insists that union pressure will be greater if an agreement is not reached.
May Day
The May long weekend celebrates International Workers’ Day, with mobilizations expected under the slogan Rights, not trenches. Wages, housing, and democracy. The main one will be held in Malaga, at the start of the electoral campaign in Andalusia, an election that the unions do not link to the call to the polls, but rather to the city being the “paradigm” of the housing access crisis in Spain.
At the presentation of this week’s mobilizations, Pepe Álvarez (UGT) and Unai Sordo (CC OO) focused on the United States’ war and trade strategy, highlighting the “great threat” they pose to the rights of the working class.
Álvarez has said that the “central reason” for calling for a large mobilization on May Day is to turn it into “a cry against war” and a “demand for peace”.
Read more Kylie Jenner, sued by a former household employee for discrimination and a toxic work environment
