Source: The Mayor.eu

Employees of Bicing, Barcelona’s bike-sharing service, are preparing to go on strike, with unions CGT and CCOO describing the action as ‘indefinite’

The strike is set to commence at 7:00 a.m. on 14 November, and at 10:30 striking workers will gather to protest at the site of Barcelona City Hall in Place Sant Jaume.

CGT, one of the unions representing the Bicing workers, has advised service users to consider alternative means of transport for the duration of the strike. It is likely that there will be insufficient Bicing bicycles to meet demand, and broken bikes will not be repaired.

Bicing currently has 7,000 bikes on the streets of Barcelona. However, according to the service’s workforce, that number is too low to meet user demand. The strikers are calling for an increase in the number of bicycles, plus the improvement of the replenishment service, meaning repairs can be made without affecting the offer on the streets.

The Bicing workforce is also putting forward demands for a five-year agreement with the city, seeking to guarantee salary increases in line with rising costs of living. There are also demands for the recovery of seniority, enhanced weekend and holiday pay, and the creation of bonuses.