A major Spanish workers’ union called on the CAF (Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles, S.A.) transportation firm to halt work on the Jerusalem and Tel Aviv light rail systems amid threats of a strike and after anti-Israel vandalism at the firm’s facilities near the northern city of Bilbao.
“CAF must be prevented from participating in any future tenders related to Israel,” a spokesperson for the LAB (Langile Abertzaleen Batzordeak) workers’ union, which represents most of CAF’s personnel, told the Crónica Vasca newspaper in an article published on Sunday.
“We categorically reject CAF’s participation in projects that violate the rights of the Palestinian people, such as the Jerusalem Light Rail,” the spokesperson added.
The interview was published approximately one week after unidentified individuals spray-painted anti-Israel slogans on cars intended for the Tel Aviv Light Rail project, El Diario Vasco reported on June 3.
Last month, CAF and LAB reached an agreement that ended partial strikes at the CAF factory in Beasain, a small town near Bilbao in Spain’s Basque Country. The company’s refusal to end its projects in Israel, despite pressure to do so since 2020, has added to tensions between LAB and management, according to Crónica Vasca.
In April, anti-Israel prosecutors filed complaints with police against CAF in connection with its projects in Israel. A police investigation was opened.
On June 3, LAB also co-signed a letter, along with five other unions in Morocco, France, Greece, Italy and Turkey, calling on dock workers to disrupt maritime traffic to Israel. “Let’s keep the pressure up and block the boat,” the letter said.
