Miguel Ángel Sánchez presides over one of the most important organizations of transport professionals in the region. It calls for the establishment of loading and unloading locations to improve parcel services, and highlights the main problems of the sector: lack of generational change, delinquency, high diesel prices and the price of all raw materials.

What representation does Asemtraex currently have in the world of regional transport?

Today Asemtraex has an important weight within the sector it represents, being, without a doubt, the most representative in Extremadura and also the longest-lived in our community. It has approximately a park, including trucks and buses of about 2,500 vehicles and an approximate number of about 600 members, both from the province of Badajoz and in Cáceres, with an office in Cáceres and Mérida. Asemtraex is present in the Superior Council of Transport of Extremadura being members of the Arbitration Board, we are attached to national associations such as... CETM, CONETRANS, CONFEBUS, FEDAT. We maintain contacts with Administrations, Institutions, organizations that place us as the first business interlocutor in terms of transport in Extremadura. We negotiate the Collective Transport Agreements in the province of Cáceres, we are part of the Superior Council of Transport of Extremadura, while we are members of CEADE, Circulo Empresarial Cacereño, and the newly created COEPCA employers' association, as well as an active member of the Chamber of Commerce of Cáceres and with close ties of permanent collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce of Badajoz.


Carriers went from heroes to villains during the pandemic. What circumstances are they in now?

Certainly, and before continuing to respond, go from here my memory and gratitude to the colleagues who unfortunately died because of covid outside their homes working, as well as their families, while the entire population was confined in their homes. Only the transport sector and few more were the ones who supplied the markets, despite the ignorance of what was on the street. With roads completely alone, restaurants and hotels closed and without any kind of focus on this sector by the administrations, we were heroes there. But the human tends to forget soon, and in the face of the fair demands that the sector demands from the government at the end of 2021 and that would lead to the employers' strike in March 2022, the sector had significant support from the population, which was diminishing as the own interests of each citizen were compromised and went from support by not understanding the claims. Now we are back to the way we were abandoned.

Is there a generational change in the sector?

Unfortunately not, or not that it can reverse the need that the sector needs, so if this trend is not given an urgent solution we will be forced to the closure of many companies. Today, the age of businessmen and women entrepreneurs is between fifty and sixty years old. This gives an idea of the lack of that relief and this problem is extremely serious. One of the possible triggers of this situation is the impossibility of many economies to choose to get a card that leads to the need to get the CAP, which could have a cost of between three thousand five hundred and four thousand euros, amounts that throw back anyone who intends to seek life in this sector, because it makes it unfeasible for many economies. From what I understand that these costs should either be reduced or that they should be subsidized.

Do fuel prices allow you reasonable profit margins?

Absolutely not. What we need and have been demanding for decades is a professional diesel equivalent to that related to agriculture and fishing, it is something that we consider essential and legitimate, which can be carried out if our politicians put themselves to it. Another outrage is to withdraw the aid that has been made from the cents that, if carried out, will increase expenses for each vehicle and year by about two thousand four hundred euros, which will further aggravate the terrible economy of the self-employed and companies, and that could again awaken movements in the sector such as those that occurred last year.

Has the demand for parcels been maintained after the pandemic has been overcome?

The information that comes to me and my perception is yes. Now, and in this regard, something that comes from Asemtraex and, above all, in the city of Cáceres, are loading and unloading locations that are strategically located in order not to disturb and that this work can be done safely. A request, as I say, that has been requested from the different local governments without having been carried out to date, which is a setback for all neighbors as well as for employees and companies that have to make the different deliveries.


You supported the transport stop-s of a year ago, what was achieved with them?

Of all that it is. Asemtraex in an emergency assembly held on March 18 at the request of a majority of members decides to support the employers' strike. What has been achieved? Nothing. As a hot water cloth, and in the face of the increases in fuel and in the face of the demonstrated strength of this sector, the discount of the 0.20 cents then reduced to 0.10 and the 0.05 that are now intended to be withdrawn, which can cause movements... "A good connoisseur with a few words is enough"... Well, it is a new provocation to the world of transport in general. We are not being taken seriously, despite the fact that the strength we have if we unite has been demonstrated.

What are the current serious transport problems?

Lack of generational change, delinquency, expensive diesel, increase in the price of all the materials on which the sector feeds, etc.

Together with Extremadura, New Energies have formed an 'Alliance for the industrial development of Cáceres and the promotion of transport' in the region. What does it consist of?

Our support for the mine from the moment the project is changed to the way it is intended to be carried out today has been unanimous. Not only for our sector, which also opens up many other business possibilities to our region. And I can say that in our negotiations the management has made tacit commitments in the hiring of personnel, not only from the city of Cáceres but from all the neighboring towns. In my case, who am from Trujillo, we met with the mayor who ruled at that time, in order to generate ties of cooperation. All to generate a business fabric that creates wealth and fixes the population, thus avoiding the depopulation that is taking place in our region.

Can it be expanded to Lithium Iberia?

Undoubtedly, any company that can establish itself in our region is inclined to bring wealth. Extremadura, I believe, is currently in a very good position so that this can be carried out.

Do you think that these two mining projects can energize the province's economy?

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Completely convinced of it.