Union leaders predict a massive turn out for strike

The unions are predicting “a massive turn out” in the Balearics for the general strike on June 20. This was confirmed at a press confrence by spokesmen Josep Benedicto and Lorenzo Bravo, who presented the programme for Thursday. Both union leaders said that they had managed to talk to 25'000 workers at meetings, “despite the anti-strike pickets who have been functioning at many workplaces since the first day.” The unions have designated 31 meeting places for the workers on June 20, 23 in Majorca, three in Minorca, four in Ibiza and one in Formentera. They have also organised rallies in Palma (Plaza España at 7pm), Manacor (Plaza Ramon Llull at 12 noon), Soller (Plaza Constitución at 12 noon) and in the other islands. Benedicto spoke of the difficulties encountered in opening a dialogue with society, which he blamed on “leaks from the Aznar government and efforts to gag the unions.” The strike is over government plans to change the regulations governing unemployment pay which the unions have slammed as “an attack on the basic rights of workers.” The union leaders claimed that the central government is “absolutely alone with its economic and social policies.” They also criticised some hoteliers who are making staff sign a paper saying whether or not they will be going on strike. As to the chaos at the airport, the union leaders said that the tour operators would be directly to blame for 50'000 tourists being stranded at the airport, as “they have been incapable of planning flights when they knew about the strike two months ago.”