Bus workers announce partial stoppages

Local bus workers on the EMT (Palma's municipal transport company) have announced partial strikes on April 9 and 20, to back their wage demands, and have not ruled out the possibility of calling a full strike. In a note to the media, the workers' union representatives warned that the partial stoppages could become an indefinite strike “if the management continue with their attitude.” The workers accuse the management of being “inflexible.” The EMT workers belong to five different unions, but have joined forces for the strike action, and have not ruled out other methods of bringing pressure to bear. The management has accused the unions of being inflexible in their demands, and has also accused workers of painting the new buses with black hand signs. The strike comes at a time when the Palma city council has invested a considerable amount of money on renewing the fleet to provide a better service. The new buses are quieter and more comfortable and have already been incorporated into the busiest routes. The council has made the improvements because it wants to encourage more people to use public transport.