Fury and frustration mounts over Balearic power problem

A general feeling of anger and frustration was running through the Balearics yesterday over the region's power problem. The business and tourist sector is complaining about loss of revenue and a large number of people are still furious about being unable to watch the Spain match. Bar and restaurant owners in Majorca and Minorca complained yesterday that they had not been consulted about the best times to cut power off and as a result, the power went down just as clients arrived to eat and drink. GESA was yesterday criticised by the unions for trying to cut back on staff. At the start of last year there were 234 people employed at the Es Murterar power station at the centre of last week's massive power cut, but by the end of the year that figure had been reduced to 184, many of whom will be transfered to Son Reus once the gas turbines come into operation. The power cuts across Majorca and Minorca will continue today and the gas and electricity company GESA is no longer saying that the cuts will only be for around 30 minutes. Some areas of the island yesterday had to endure up to two hours with no power and this morning, between 9am and 10.30am it is feared that the Soller Tunnel will be without power thus forcing drivers to take the treacherous mountain road. The Balearic Parliamentary Socialists yesterday by-passed GESA chairman Bartomeu Reus, who is under mounting pressure to resign, saying that they want a meeting with the Chairman of the group which owns GESA, ENDESA. Secretary general of the PSOE socialist party, Andreu Crepsi, said that GESA “is obliged to provide a guaranteed power supply to those clients who have a contract with the company which specified that they will have light.”