School buses, seniors and tourists operate without brakes or lights

Around 200 employees of NEXCON, a transport company belonging to the ALSA group, have been called to an indefinite strike starting on Monday, 2 March. The strike will affect school transport, tourist shuttle services at the cruise‑ship terminal and the transfer of senior citizens to day‑care centres. Regular inter‑urban bus services, also operated by ALSA, will not be affected, contrary to some reports.

The president of the works council of NEX Continental Holdings SLU (NEXCON), José Rodríguez Vicente, explained that the strike is being called because of serious mechanical and maintenance shortcomings in the company’s fleet, as well as a series of labour and economic demands related to excessively long working hours and unpaid overtime.

The strike has been called by the USO Canarias union (Unión Sindical Obrera) and is supported by Intersindical Canaria. It is expected to involve the entire staff—approximately 200 people—including administrative workers, drivers, mechanics, cleaners and traffic supervisors. The indefinite strike will be carried out on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Buses in Poor Condition Endangering Drivers and Passengers

According to the works council, drivers are forced to operate vehicles with defective brakes and lights, some of which have an expired ITV (technical inspection). They claim that maintenance and repairs are being neglected. In several cases, a driver who refuses to drive a faulty bus reports the problem to management, only for the vehicle to be sent out again later with other colleagues, still without any repair.

Rodríguez Vicente traced the problem back to the purchase of a deteriorated fleet following ALSA’s acquisition of the Grupo 1844:

“They made an initial effort to refurbish the buses, but that effort stopped.”

He added that while the company says it “is working on it,” drivers are exposed to accidents and potential liability if they take the wheel of an unsafe vehicle. In the event of an accident, the Civil Guard could charge the driver, who “should not take control of a vehicle he knows is unsafe.”

Services Affected by the Strike

The works council indicated that the strike will impact discretionary services linked to tourism and contracts with various entities, including:

• Transfers of tourists between hotels and the airport.
• Excursions associated with cruise‑ship arrivals.
• Hotel‑staff transportation to tourist establishments.
• Shuttle services from the cruise terminal under the commercial brand Canary Shuttle.
• Transfers contracted by tour operators, such as Jet2 Holidays.

Public services will also be hit:

• School transport under a contract with the Canary Islands Ministry of Education, covering primary schools and some secondary schools up to 4th of ESO.
• Senior‑citizen transfers to day‑care centres, a service awarded by the Cabildo.

Shifts of Up to 12 Hours and the Overtime Dispute

Rodríguez Vicente warned that drivers are working 11‑ to 12‑hour shifts—far beyond the legal maximum of 4.5 hours of driving with a 45‑minute rest break. He argued that such long, split shifts prevent drivers from giving the attention required and create serious family‑life balance issues.

The union’s demands also include economic improvements, stating:

“We are negotiating an annual salary increase.”

Comparative Grievance with Gran Canaria and Minimum‑Service Guarantees

Rodríguez Vicente fears that the strike may not achieve the desired impact because the services are deemed essential. He recalled that during the provincial strike in 2024, a 100 % minimum‑service level was imposed.

He also highlighted a comparative grievance with ALSA workers in Gran Canaria, where an agreement on overtime pay had been signed. “In October they told us we would be compensated for overtime from the tenth hour onward, but they have not fulfilled that promise,” he said, adding that workers are now demanding payment from the ninth hour.

Finally, Rodríguez Vicente explained why the island’s regular public‑transport staff are not participating:

“When Tiadhe was absorbed by ALSA, the staff were transferred under a different collective agreement, which generally includes overtime and holiday pay. Therefore, the regular inter‑urban line will not join the strike.”