The Balearics director-general for transport, Jose Jaume, and the minister for transport, Marc Pons, last night attended top-level talks with the national minister for development, Jose Lluis Abalaos, and counterparts from regions across Spain in an attempt to try and bring an end to the taxi strike which has been crippling parts of the country for the past eight days.
On Tuesday, drivers across Majorca went on strike between 9am and 2pm and brought the island to a near standstill, much to the anger of local businesses and the tour operators which claim to have lost hundreds of thousands of euros as a result of the industrial action.
Yesterday, taxi drivers in Spain dug their heels in and vowed to continue the strike against services such as Uber and Cabify.
The strike began in Barcelona last week and spread to Madrid and Palma at the weekend as drivers blocked main thoroughfares, demanding action from the government against what they believe is poor enforcement of regulations on VTCs (vehicles with drivers for hire).
On Monday, the action spread to other cities across the country.
Elite Taxi, one of Spain’s taxi federations, tweeted on Tuesday that its members and those of other associations had "reached a deal to continue with the stoppage" prior to the meeting which took place yesterday. "We will be able to know more about the government’s intentions," it said.
The strike mirrors other similar work stoppages in European countries, as taxis across the continent complain that Uber-style services are threatening their livelihoods. They argue, for instance, that taxi licences are much more expensive than those for VTCs. In Madrid on Tuesday, white taxis blocked the main Paseo de la Castellana thoroughfare, joined by several Portuguese drivers who had come to show their support, their country’s green and red flag draped on their cars.
