The day of the general strike convened to demand improvements in housing and dignified wages has begun in the Balearic Islands with an irregular level of participation and without any major incidents being recorded in the first information pickets in Emaya, the EMT, and Palma airport.
The general secretary of UGT in the Balearic Islands, Pedro Homar, has acknowledged a "lukewarm" start in terms of follow-through. However, he has expressed his confidence that throughout the day more employees—some have chosen not to stop for economic reasons—will join the call, whose key moment will come at the unitary demonstration at 18:30, departing from Plaça d’Espanya.
At the same time, Homar has criticized the setting of minimum services, which he has described as "abusive" in certain areas, and has highlighted, unlike what happened in other communities, the "responsible" attitude of the Policía Nacional during the actions of the pickets.
The unions plan to provide at midday an initial assessment with participation figures for the strike.
Along similar lines, the general secretary of CCOO’s Public Policies, Daniel Cámara, has also pointed to unequal follow-through depending on the sectors, which he has largely attributed to the imposition of very high minimum services.
In the transport sector, he explained that numerous employees have been unable to adhere to the stoppages precisely because of these minimum services, which he has also considered excessive.
Cámara has admitted that this is a complex call, which is also taking place in a context in which the main economic activity in the Balearic Islands is practically shut down. Even so, he has emphasized that significant awareness is evident among the workforce, which leads him to expect that the afternoon mobilization will have a broad response and will make visible workers’ discontent and demands.
Early in the morning, another picket has temporarily interrupted traffic on the avenue Alexandre Rosselló in Palma.