Three Spanish truck drivers' unions halted a strike Monday that seriously disrupted supplies to factories and markets before losing steam.
The unions _ Fenadismer, Confedetrans and Antid _ said they were temporarily suspending the strike started June 9 "so as not to cause more economic damage to the sector."
The groups represent mostly self-employed truck drivers, or some 12 percent of the sector.
Non-striking unions representing the vast majority of Spain's trucking industry reached agreement last week with the government on measures to offset soaring fuel costs, which was the reason for the stoppage. But this package did not include the strikers' main demand: guaranteed minimum rates for their services.
"The government has managed to cover up a bleeding wound in the industry but it has not been cured and sooner or later it will open up again," the three unions said in a statement.
The associations said they were open to further talks with the government and added there would be more protests.
The strike, part of a series of protests in Europe, initially hit supplies to wholesale food markets and factories across the country and looked set to paralyze the country.
The truckers staged several blockades on main roads into Madrid and the country's second city, Barcelona, until the government called in riot police Wednesday and cleared the highways.
Businesses gradually resumed work as normal by the end of the week.
One minority group of truckers, the Transport Defense Platform, said it would stay on strike. Police moved Monday to prevent truckers from the group from protesting in Madrid by ordering vehicles not transporting or picking up goods to get off the road.
The striking groups had argued for minimum rates on grounds they cannot compete with large trucking companies they said were better able to cope with diesel fuel prices that have risen 36 percent in a year.
The Socialist government argued that the demand interfered with free-market competition.
