A nightmare scenario

By Jason Moore WHEN it rains it pours. The threatend strike by local hoteliers is the last thing Majorca needs at the moment. The industry already has fundamental problems which need to be resolved soon and now we are faced with industrial action in September. Would you want to book a holiday and enjoy your cherished 10 days in a resort where there is a possibility of industrial action. Well ofcourse not. The major tour operators and the general public will have taken note and I suspect that the late holiday bookings to the island will suffer as a direct result. A similar state of affairs happened with the coach strike four years ago. An estimated 50'000 people were affected but millions saw it on television or in newspaper, as a result Majorca suffered. If the trade unions and the management want to salvage the summer season they must work around the clock to reach an accord and therefore avert the strike. As we have said on many occasions the Balearics are no longer alone, they are facing stiff competition from resorts in the eastern Mediterranean. They are already gaining market share and with a hotel strike the Balearics will just give them a further edge. Instead of everyone pulling together to try and get the Balearics through one of its most difficult times, the reverse is happening. Infighting has already broke out with each side of the tourist industry blaming each other. What we must remember is that tourism is our principal source of income. If there is a fall in tourism the Balearics will feel it. If there is a major drop then there is a danger of an even further slowdown in the local economy. The unions and management must see sence and the local government must act right away. There are no excuses the Balearics can't have a hotel strike.