Soller Train Strike Threatened

THE employees of the historic Sóller train in Mallorca want to go on strike.

The company’s works council reported on Thursday, 10 August that work would be stopped around the clock for eight days.

The dates are scheduled for August 22, 23, 29, 30 and 31 and September 7, 8 and 9.

The UGT, CCOO and STEI-i trade unions have submitted the relevant applications to the Balearic Ministry of Labour and to the Tamib Conciliation and Arbitration Court.

The reason for the walkout is the stalled negotiations on a new collective agreement.

At the beginning of the year, the management announced that a salary increase would only be possible if the General Directorate for Mobility agreed to an increase in ticket prices.

This was waved through just before the regional elections. Since then, according to the works council, negotiations have not made any progress.

The workers are demanding a salary increase of seven percent for 2023 and a further four percent for 2024.

For comparison: fares may be increased by up to 26 percent.

In addition, the workers demand a guarantee that the so-called ‘fijos discontinuos’ can work nine months a year.

The popular contract model on the Balearic Islands stipulates that the workers are permanently employed but only work for a certain period of time per year.

Furthermore, vacation days and the organisation of working days should be better regulated.

The company said in a press release to Mallorca Zeitung that it would offer workers a 5 per cent increase in the first year, a 3.5 per cent increase in the second year, and an additional 3 per cent in the third year.

The other demands under discussion also include that the safety precautions are implemented more strictly and that further training in the area is optimised.

The extent to which the strike will actually take place is uncertain.

In recent weeks, negotiations have been able to avert strikes at a Eurowings handling company at Palma Airport and at the island’s laundries.