Spanish lash out at TIR truckers
Page 6
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• British truck drivers in Spain are being threatened with violence as a strike by Spanish hauliers comes to a head.
The dispute, over the Spanish government's decision to withdrawn subsidies from its operators, began last week and is likely to continue at least until the end of this month.
Trucks entering and leaving Spain are being blockaded and little traffic is leaving the country for France via its two main border crossings at Irun and La Junquera. About 1,000 foreign trucks have been affected.
There have been several unconfirmed reports of violence against drivers: trucks have had their tyres slashed and their windscreens broken if their drivers attempted to get through the blockade.
One British haulier says he has heard that two French truck drivers, one Portuguese and one Spaniard have been shot. Spanish police are impounding trucks at border posts for the protection of the drivers, but several operators allege that riot officers are standing by while strikers attack lorries.
Drivers carrying perishable goods are having to drain their diesel tanks to feed their reefer units or run to fuel stations — many of which have now run out of derv, says Taunton haulier Paul Selway, who has five trucks stranded. One of his drivers was pelted with stones when he refused to stop for strikers.
A Spanish car transporter was smashed up and its driver almost forced off the road by a car belonging to strikers, according to Loughborough haulier Mike Pickering. He had to fly home from Gibraltar this week after police advised him not to continue his journey. He has two drivers still in Spain and he thinks their vehicles may be badly damaged.
Spanish strikers are even dropping concrete blocks on trucks from motorway bridges, says Sussex operator John Wise. His driver is waiting in Vitoria, and Wise fears for his safety.
Although his trucks are insured, Wise says he will lose thousands in extra wages and the excess on his premium.
The Foreign Office has sent its consul in Bilbao to the border to assess the situation. It says it has no confirmed reports of violence against British truck drivers, but agrees that they are "finding it difficult".