The Communist Party of the Workers of Spain (PCTE) has expressed its grief over the deadly collision between two trains in Los Yébenes, Toledo, on Wednesday, October 28, which, according to the party’s statement, has claimed 64 lives and left approximately 100 people injured.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the PCTE extended its condolences to the victims’ families and expressed solidarity with the injured, railway workers, emergency personnel and local residents who participated in rescue operations.
The party strongly criticized the government’s initial response, particularly suggestions that human error may have caused the disaster, arguing that such conclusions are premature while the exact circumstances remain unknown.
According to the PCTE, attributing the collision primarily to an individual worker risks concealing broader political and corporate responsibilities. Even if human error is eventually established, the party stressed, investigators must determine why railway safety mechanisms failed to prevent a fatal catastrophe.
The communists called for a thorough investigation into technical and working conditions, including staffing levels, shifts, workloads and rest periods, as well as the consequences of outsourcing and privatizing railway safety systems and their maintenance.
The PCTE also pointed to the restructuring of Spain’s railway system, particularly the separation of infrastructure management and train operations in 2004, as part of a wider process of commercialization that has subordinated public services to private economic interests.
Reaffirming its demand for a fully public railway system under workers’ control, the party called on railway employees to organize in their workplaces and prepare for upcoming mobilizations, beginning on November 11.
The PCTE concluded by insisting that political and corporate responsibilities must be established, warning that privatization and spending cuts come at the expense of railway workers’ and passengers’ safety.
From In Defense of Communism via This RSS Feed.