New railway strike confirmed: protest measures and criticism of track safety

News about the railway strike intensifies following the official confirmation from La Fraternidad leader, Omar Maturano, who assured that the protest will take place within the next 24 hours across the entire country. The union mobilization responds to a broader issue that goes beyond simple wage demands, focusing on critical safety concerns affecting both workers and millions of passengers.

Structural safety issues behind the strike

The union organization bases its decision to call the strike on the alarming situation facing the national railway system. According to La Fraternidad spokespersons, the infrastructure shows widespread failures that compromise the safety of travel. Maturano denounced that “all tracks have deficiencies,” forcing trains to operate at reduced speeds for safety reasons.

Particularly concerning is the frequency of derailments in freight services, an indicator reflecting the accumulated deterioration of the system in recent years. These incidents not only pose risks to personnel but also impact the economic viability of railway transportation, something union leadership directly links to future service concession decisions.

Salary decline and future protest measures

Beyond safety considerations, the railway union emphasizes that its members are facing a severe economic crisis. According to the organization’s statements, the collective has experienced a purchasing power reduction estimated between 50% and 60% over the past year, a direct consequence of the halt in wage negotiations with the government.

Maturano warned that once the current mandatory conciliation period ends, La Fraternidad will evaluate new protest actions. Specifically, he indicated that a new strike could be called during March, when labor and school calendars stabilize.

Scope of the strike and tension in public transportation

The confirmation of this railway strike triggers a new day of conflict in the transportation sector and increases pressure on government authorities in a particularly sensitive area. The impact of news about the strike reaches millions of users of the metropolitan network and other urban centers in the country who depend on railway services for their daily mobility.

The convergence of wage dissatisfaction, safety concerns, and infrastructure crisis positions the strike as an expression of structural tensions in passenger transport, amplifying the scope of the conflict beyond the direct union actors.