Transport: Normal after the strike, key agreement

The unions tried this week to stand up to Asetra, the majority in the subsector of goods and only signatory to the collective agreement, beginning an indefinite strike on the road. After 48 hours of arrest, transport workers, who from the first time got a strike almost total passengers-had failed to alter the activity of the subsector of goods. This led, according to Asetra, the desconvocatoria of the strike. "We congratulate the unions have signed, after two days of strike, an agreement had already been offered by the employer of passengers, before the strike began," he joked yesterday the bosses.

The secretary of the Transport Federation of the UGT, Florentino Vazquez, today accused the Asetra transport bosses want to "charge the agreement is signed." Vazquez also said that a large number of workers who are seconding the second day of strike in the sector and said that freight vehicles in circulation are those of independent carriers, which called for "solidarity."

Speaking to Europa Press Vazquez said yesterday that both parties were on the verge of a deal but once again "Asetra blew it because they wanted to appear on the phone and tell us they do not want mediation or anything."

"What they want is clearly breaking the agreement so the workers decided to continue the strike because we have no other choice," said union representative.

On follow-up strike on the second day indicated that the carriage of passengers are following the strike on a "majority." Regarding the said goods that circulate and are working are self-employed, most of which are 3,800 compared to 1,500 employees.

In this regard indicated that trade unions are being very careful and respect those who work for UGT are looking for the ultimate confrontation between workers. "The strike is called because we will not allow us to remove the agreement," Vazquez said. Asetra emphasized that the agreement with the employer has served travelers to call off the strike, but "not binding" for companies because the associations that have signed "no standing" to negotiate.

The strike was called by different interpretations of trade unions and employers make pay review the terms agreed in the collective agreement signed in 2007. But, paradoxically, its desconvocatoria came after an agreement with employers Astra passenger, car and a written undertaking Asvipyment that the salary review 4% claimed by the unions. The same proposal they had offered before the strike began. "We did an exercise in accountability to citizens and to end a conflict that otherwise would not have been resolved," their spokesmen said yesterday.

These non-negotiated the current agreement in 2007 to try to make the agreement for the transportation of goods is separated from the passenger. Astra car and then chose to bring to justice the agreement signed between Asetra and unions, but his application was unsuccessful or the Superior Court of Justice or the Supreme Asturias, in November 2008 ruled in favor of Asetra.

Situation "weird." During the workers' assembly held at midnight on Thursday to vote on strike desconvocatoria, agreed to a "margin" for the Ministry of Industry and Employment to decide on the request for arbitration made by the UGT and CCOO. Yesterday, the Minister of Industry and Employment, Graciano Torre, recognizing that the output given to the conflict had created a situation "strange", said his department will consider "legally" the possibilities of meeting the demands of unions and of employers' travelers binding arbitration to determine the wage increase to apply for 2009. "Next week we will know what the outcome and the positions adopted by the regional government," Torre moved.

Normality returned yesterday to the Asturian roads following the agreement reached by midnight Thursday in the trade unions and bus companies. But still open another front: Asetra, employers majority of transport in Asturias, refuses to agree to base salaries the inflation forecast for this year (two percent). The unions warn that go to court to settle their differences with the employer, after claiming the arbitration of the Ministry of Industry.

The rest of the employers of coaches (Astra, Asvipymet and Car) and the UGT and CCOO trade unions have agreed to a wage increase of 2 percent for this concept, and another 2 percent as stipulated in the collective agreement up to a total of 4 percent. Payments will be made, including arrears, in the April salary.

Asetra not support this increase and yesterday announced it would not be subject to any arbitration by the regional government does not respect the law. For the organization that presides Ovidio de la Roza, employers of coaches' lack of legitimacy "to reach any agreement with the unions. Asetra stressed that the agreement reached "in no way binding on companies."

The Minister of Industry, Graciano Torre, met yesterday with all parties and called Asetra refusal to sign the agreement with the unions and other employers of "strange". Torre agreed to discuss during the next few days the request for arbitration made by the UGT and CCOO following agreement out of the strike.

"Law firms every opportunity to meet union demands," he said. UGT and CCOO had claimed that the issuance of a binding award for the whole transport Spaniard despite the rejection of Asetra. Torre also specified that the Principality not correspond in any way to fix the inflation forecast, but the task for the Ministry of Industry. The agreement reached Thursday night is' positive 'for all parties involved, except for Asetra, it ends with a conflict that for passenger transport employers' was not justified in any way. "

Thus, the three associations agreed to the rise. Had done before the strike, but opted for the second strike to "end the conflict. These employers criticized the Asetra position, because "it is incomprehensible."

Asetra was the only organization that disagreed with this possibility. "Complying with the duty to defend our partners, Asetra not subject to any arbitration, nor accept any award that does not comply with current legislation," he warned, recalling that it is "the only organization in the majority and the only representative and legitimate to reach agreements with the social, related to the interpretation of the Convention. " Under the terms agreed in May 2007 between Asetra and unions, the salary review for 2009 will consist of an increase equivalent to inflation forecast and two points. The unions are demanding that the increase is 4% because they claim that the inflation forecast is 2%.

But Asetra argues that since the Ministry of Economy has not moved an official forecast CPI for 2009, so that the employer agrees to pay the additional 2% agreed and complete the amount equivalent to the increase of inflation when there is a government forecast IPC.

Irrational stance. For the general secretary of Transportation UGT, Florentino Vazquez Asetra's refusal to accept the agreement reached with the employers of travelers is a reflection of its "irrationality and shows that the only intention is to break the agreement."

For employers of passengers, the conflict has ratified as "absurd" that a collective agreement applicable to the entire transport sector do not allow the participation of employers of passengers and goods is an employer of the sole signatory, "imposing thus undermining its claims to the public, when the reality of both passenger and freight sectors, "is completely different."

The three employers Asturian strike to ensure that bus transportation for these two days was not justified and that the passenger transport companies were the most affected by it.

The passenger employers ASTRA, ASVIPYMET and CAR, which have signed an agreement with unions to end the two-day strike in the sector, today expressed regrets arrest "unreasonable" in which they have been harmed as a result a model agreement "absurd."

In a statement, after regretting the inconvenience caused to citizens arrest "savage", the agreement reached with the unions, which does not adhere ASETRA, the majority employer in the goods sector, merely confirms the wage increase 4 percent of these companies already offer before the strike.

Also claim to have made "an exercise of responsibility" to make a commitment which provides that the salary review will apply from April as payment on account of what would eventually be the "arbitral award, decision or agreement" to establish the Joint Commission Convention.

"This proposal had been offered before the strike began, which goes to show that the strike for the shuttle bus was not justified in any way, let alone that they were the passenger transport companies hardest hit," they add. Thus, in the meeting held this morning at the Ministry of Industry to know the position of the parties concerned on the possibility of binding arbitration that would determine the wage increase in 2009, ASETRA was the only organization that disagreed with this possibility.

For ASTRA, ASVIPYMET and CAR, is "shocking" that ASETRA, the only signatory to the Convention of 2007, who is not now accept the salary review or arbitration, but that does not raise any solution, which attributed to the fact that the strike has had little impact on the sector of goods while the passenger suffered damage valued at 30,000 euros for the conduct of pickets.

The conflict has ratified, according to these companies, the "absurdity" of an agreement for the entire transport sector and is an employer of goods the only party who imposes his claims and "hurting people" when the reality of both activities is completely different. "

These non-negotiated the current agreement in 2007 to try that, contrary to what had been done until now, the agreement for transportation of goods is separated from the passenger.

ASTRA CAR and then chose to bring to justice the agreement between ASETRA and unions, but its application was unsuccessful at the Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Asturias (TSJA), so they decided to raise an appeal to the Supreme Court that ruled for three months ASETRA.EFE for