Spanish truckers suspend fuel strike

MADRID (Reuters) - Spain's few remaining striking truck drivers have called off their week-long fuel protest for now, the three associations representing them said on Monday.

The strike -- a protest at rocketing fuel prices -- paralysed Spain's transport network last week, leaving petrol stations without fuel, factories without parts, empty supermarket shelves and sparked travel chaos for millions.

However the strike has diminished in strength, from what was a large minority of truckers taking part to just 6 percent of drivers by Friday. Police escorts for key supplies and arrests at picket lines has further sapped the protester's power.

"The government has managed to plug the bleeding wound in this sector, but by not treating it, and sooner or later it will reopen," a joint statement from the three associations said.

The three associations said they had taken the decision to suspend the strike temporarily to avoid further damage on the sector and said they remained open to a negotiated settlement through talks with the government.

Meanwhile, police stopped hundreds of truck drivers who were trying to converge on Madrid, but also netted others trying to make normal deliveries to the capital, an operation the head of one drivers union said was like a "kidnap situation".

The government agreed with most drivers associations to implement a range of measures to help drivers last week, but did not agree to demands from the minority -- mostly small hauliers and one-man businesses -- for a minimum charge to transport goods.

(Reporting by Teresa Larraz and Emma Pinedo; Writing by Ben Harding; Editing by Caroline DRees)