Strike by tow-truck drivers forces motorists to abandon vehicles

SPAIN: Motorists driving through the Basque Country and Asturias in northern Spain should ensure their car is in good working…

SPAIN: Motorists driving through the Basque Country and Asturias in northern Spain should ensure their car is in good working order or that they don't get involved in an accident as a strike of tow-truck drivers has led to hundreds of vehicles being abandoned.

The strikers claim there are more than 4,000 abandoned vehicles on Basque roads, although the police put the figure at closer to 500.

The Basque strike began almost a month ago and the Asturian drivers voted to join them at the end of last week.

Next Tuesday those in the rest of the country will hold further talks with insurance companies who contract them to decide whether the strike will become nationwide.

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The drivers are demanding an increase of 100 per cent in the tariff they charge to rescue a vehicle. They say this would bring them closer to the €56 received by most of their European counterparts. The insurance companies have offered an increase of only 15 per cent and the tow-truck drivers are currently paid between €20 and €25 each time they are called out.

Some claim that they are even being asked to provide services beyond merely towing the vehicle away for repair. "We are expected to find taxis and hotels for the drivers and their passengers, and we are still paid the same," said one.

Meanwhile, gangs of thieves have taken advantage of the dispute and looted abandoned cars, driving off with luggage, radios, tyres and even motors. Police caught seven thieves red-handed last week on a motorway near Vitoria.

The European Commission has recommended that anyone who has to abandon a vehicle should make a detailed note of its condition and contents, so they can make an insurance claim if it is looted.