Vehicle recovery companies consider ‘total or partial suspension’ of roadside assistance in Spain
After initial talks broke down in July, the National Roadside Assistance Alliance will make a final decision on September 22 on whether the tow trucks, called ‘grúas‘ in Spanish, will launch a national strike. Negotiations resumed this month with representatives of insurance companies, car groups and travel assistance platforms, but the threat of a labor movement still hangs in the air.
“The problems in this sector are the direct responsibility of insurance companies and intermediaries, which have not yet generally revised their tariff schedules in relation to the increase in fuel prices, and jeopardize the normal supply of activity,” the organization said. .
Tow truck companies have reported devastating losses this year due to rising costs, with 63% of companies in the red. It was then the bitter pill to swallow when insurers “published their results for the first half of 2022 with profits of 2,662 million euros, or 9.3% more than the previous year”.
The industry says current rates do not allow for new staff to be recruited to cover their roadside assistance responsibilities, “which will soon mean a lack of service and reduced road safety, caused by this economic situation.”
Image: Pixabay
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