THE Balearic government was warned yesterday that it faced an autumn of discontent as the main trade unions flex their muscles over the major spending cuts which are being planned at the moment. A whole series of strikes are being planned over the coming months and even years However, the local economy is in severe recession and any industrial action could effectively kill off the green shoots of recovery. I think now is the time for the government to work with the unions to try and resolve their differences without strike action. It should only be the last resort.
The Spanish government and the local administrations are under great pressure to bring their budget deficits under control. The Balearics is in debt to the tune of 5'000 million euros, an incredible sum when you take into account the relatively small size of the islands. The new Balearic President Jose Ramon Bauza has said that important savings need to be made. There is simply no money in government coffers and even the banks are wary about leading money to local authorities. For the time being I would urge the unions to rethink their strike actions. Now, is a time to pull together for the good of the Balearics. The summer season is rapidly coming to an end and soon the unemployment rate will rise dramatically again. I am sure that the unions have good reason to call for industrial action but they must also take into account the present economic climate.
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