The emergency order issued after an appeal by CC.OO. Madrid requires immediate compliance with the minimum-service arrangements used during the general strike of 14 November 2012. The Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Madrid (TSJM) suspended the regional government’s rules for Justice and Education. It also suspended rules for transport services other than Metro de Madrid.
The TSJM’s Administrative Chamber imposed the measure as an urgent interim step for the 11 November strike. Metro is not covered. The action was called over access to housing and wages as the cost of living rises.
Rail services are operating under separate minimum-service requirements set by the Ministry of Transport. High-speed and long-distance trains are scheduled to run at an average of 73% for Renfe and 72.7% for Iryo. Ouigo’s average is set at 69.23%. Madrid Cercanías is set at 75% of normal service during peak periods and 50% for the rest of the day. Renfe’s peak periods are 06:00 to 09:00 and 13:30 to 15:30. The final peak period runs from 18:30 to 20:30.
Renfe’s conventional and high-speed medium-distance services have an average minimum level of 65%; freight services are set at 26% of scheduled journeys. Minimum cover for scheduled flights ranges from 18% to 85%, depending on the route and airports involved.
Separately, the Comunidad de Madrid published minimum-service decisions for regional transport in the days before the strike. On 9 November, it announced a minimum service level of up to 69% for Metro trains on the first day of the strike. On 10 November, it set minimum services of up to 50% for passenger road transport.
Correos has also set staffing requirements to protect election-related postal services ahead of the general election scheduled for 29 November. The Interior Minister’s order requires customer-service offices to open during their usual hours for electoral procedures. It assigns one employee per shift at offices with up to four workers and two at offices with five to eight. Offices with more than eight workers must have three employees per shift.
CC.OO. has criticised Correos’ implementation, saying more than 16,000 staff, around 35% of the workforce, were designated for minimum services. The union alleges discriminatory selection and says some assignments go beyond legally protected election work. Those are the union’s claims; the order’s stated purpose is to safeguard postal voting and deliver electoral documents and campaign material.
At Mercamadrid, police used tear gas shortly before 03:00 after a confrontation as demonstrators tried to leave the site. Two people were treated by medical staff in an ambulance. One person was later arrested during an altercation as the final group crossed the road to leave. By 03:06 the entrance had returned to normal, although police remained deployed.
