Spanish farmers and transport workers are threatening militant action unless the government takes steps to reduce oil prices, or reduce VAT and the special hydrocarbons tax on their fuel.
Members of more than 20 organisations, including farmers, fishermen and ambulance, taxi and heavy goods vehicle drivers met in Madrid to form a Consumers' Platform and to plan their strategy.
The price of diesel fuel in Spain has increased by 11 per cent this year, and farmers claim that agricultural grade fuel prices have increased by 66 per cent in the first eight months of this year and almost 150 per cent since the beginning of 1999.
Mr Fernando Moraleda, general secretary of the UPA, the small-scale farmers' union, blames Repsol for charging the customer for OPEC price increases. "Repsol is the main beneficiary in this country, and they are causing the crisis in the sector where more than a million people use agricultural fuel in the rural areas. They say they are going to increase prices and all the other [companies] follow the next day."
Taxi drivers across Spain have threatened to drive at a snail's pace around towns and cities, bringing traffic to a standstill.