Palma bus drivers plan industrial action

Go slows will be held during the first four hours of services on April 20 and 30 and then on May 2 and 3.According to the works committee, the EMT bosses have been putting drivers under undue stress to work longer hours.

Representative for the works committee, Andres Rodriguez, said yesterday neither he nor any of his colleagues are surprised that the municipal bus company lost five million passengers last year considering fares went up and routes and services were reduced. “But, the travelling public has to appreciate that they are not the only ones affected, so too are the staff, especially the bus drivers who are under immense pressure from the bosses and that has a negative effect on the quality service they provide,” he added.

Rodriquez said that attempts have been made to talk to the bosses and solve some of the problems, such as wage cuts some of the staff have been subjected to, but they have failed so for that reason, a series of mass protests outside the EMT headquarters are also going to be staged during the period of industrial action.

The bus company is also cutting corners when it comes to health and safety and we're not happy with that, Rodriguez said yesterday.