Rubbish strike may not go ahead

It now looks as though the strike by rubbish collectors, due to start on March 25, will not go ahead as “verbal agreement” has been reached with EMAYA chairman Maria Crespo. As a result of the agreement, the 12 workers who have been staging a sit-in at company headquarters since last Wednesday yesterday left the premises. In a communique, the unions said that the tentative agreement reached yesterday must be ratified tomorrow by the Balearic labour authorities, who had been asked to mediate by Crespo herself. A union spokesman said that if the agreement is signed tomorrow, the workers from the environment department will call off their strike. They had planned the strike to press demands to have their wages brought in line with colleagues in the company's water department. EMAYA also issued a communique, saying that Crespo was willing to reach a final agreement and “fulfil and respect” commitments with the unions and workers, providing they did not use pressure or strikes. After describing the sit-in as “irregular and illegal,” Crespo said that the company was not prepared to start a constructive dialogue “if demos outside its headquarters, insults, the irregular use of equipment and threats continue.” She said that any delays in reaching agreement had been because she had to report to the city council.