Bus drivers at Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB), the city’s main public transport operator, will stage a seven-hour strike on Tuesday 22 September, according to the company committee. The stoppage is scheduled from 10:00 to 17:00 and is expected to affect TMB bus services across Barcelona.
Commuters who rely on TMB buses during those hours should allow extra time and check TMB’s bus service status page before travelling. The strike has been called so staff can attend a general workers’ assembly, which is due to begin at 12:30.
Dispute over a new collective agreement
The workers’ representatives say negotiations over the collective agreement that will set bus drivers’ working conditions have been under way since November 2025. They say 23 meetings with TMB management have not produced a substantial agreement.
“After 23 fruitless meetings with practically no agreement, patience has reached its limit. It is time to explain the current situation to the staff and for them to decide, as a collective, the response to this situation.”
The statement was published in reporting by Tot Barcelona. The committee says drivers are seeking shorter working hours, including a 35-hour schedule, and more recruitment so work can be shared among a larger workforce.
Drivers cite workload and road safety
Workers say the proposed changes would improve the balance between work and family life. They argue that better rest periods and less pressure on drivers could improve service and road safety in Barcelona’s congested traffic.
TMB’s official service-status page is the channel passengers can use to check for disruption notices on Tuesday.
Primary sources: Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB), CIDO - Diputació de Barcelona, transparencia.tmb.cat, Eurofound. Reported by totbarcelona.cat, Tot Barcelona.
