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Spanish transport strike could rock Gib
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Dependence on overland supplies from Spain makes Gibraltar prone to be affected by developments.
Gibraltar's increasing dependence on supplies from Spain could begin to be felt as the Spanish transport strike begins to take effect, from today.
PETROL PRICES
The strike is in protest at the ever-rising petrol/diesel prices, which is making Spain's transport sector uneconomic.
"We have nothing to lose," said a spokesman for the Cadiz area transport committee (CNT).
Representatives of the transport sector held a last-ditch meeting with the government at the weekend, but this ended in disagreement.
The message from the meeting was that the strike would be 'hard and long lasting.
In the Cadiz province alone there are about 3,500 lorries which have been urged to join the strike. This affects the small van to the huge trailers. All types of products are due to be affected, such as food supplies and petrol deliveries. It is said that within 3 days of the strike, the effects will begin to be felt as the big supermarkets etc start to sell their stocks without the usual replenishments.
Already, even before the official strike started, there were transporters taking action. Lorries were being stopped from entering the Cadiz port on Friday.
While in theory the strike is in Spain only, it is doubtful that other parts of the Iberian peninsula will go unscathed. NO SUPPLIES Already importers in Gibraltar have been informed by their suppliers that no further supplies will be available until the strike is over.
Gibraltar has increasingly been making itself more and more dependent on supplies from Spain, which could mean that the effects of the Spanish strike will begin to be felt sooner rather than later.
The more the dependence on Spanish supplies the greater the susceptibility to external pressures. Such a concept became manifest in a dramatic fashion when the Spanish Government closed the frontier in 1969. It was then said that Gibraltar should never allow such a situation to happen again.
But we do not appear to learn from the mistakes of the past.
This latest development has nothing to do with a Spanish Government action directed specifically at Gibraltar.
But it could affect this community anyway.
In Spain itself, sources there are saying that if this becomes a long strike, as is being pre-
dicted, supermarkets etc could ran out of supplies.
In Gibraltar there is bound to be repercussions, given that the bulk of supplies come by land.
Whereas in the past, supplies by cargo ships represented an important part of supplies, there has long been a shift to overland deliveries.
Presumably, supplies for third countries should not be affected. Will trucks to and from Portugal be allowed to proceed normally? What about the French connection?
Will trucks destined to Gibraltar, and not Spain, be allowed through the strikers picket lines?
There are many imponderables at this point in time, and the next few days should provide a clearer, firmer picture of the situation.
Nevertheless, there are already indications that suppliers in Spain feel that overland supplies to Gibraltar could face problems.
There have recently been adverse comment that air freight capability has reduced due to the changing scene of flights to Gibraltar.
Quite apart from that, the industry and Government will have to take quick action to find alternative routes of supply to ensure Gibraltar does not come to a halt if the strike proceeds.
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