Lifeguards in Calvia are threatening industrial action.

Lifeguards in Calvia are threatening industrial action. | Michels

Humphrey CarterFrancesca MaríPalma22/06/2024 09:46
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Lifeguards in Calvia, united under the Unión de Socorristas de Calvia (Calvia lifeguards union), have announced their intention to go on strike on the 7th of July in order to “highlight the precariousness of the lifeguard service”.They have accused both the concessionary company and the Calvia Council of being responsible for the situation.

“There is a lack of staff and posts are left unfilled when there are absences, causing a safety problem for bathers,” Ariel Gauna, general secretary of the Lifeguards Union, said. Among their demands is also “more material to carry out the work in a safe and effective way”, adds Gauna while he assures that they have damaged flotation elements and with water inside.

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It has been 50 days since they started the activity on the beaches of the municipality, but that they are still waiting for two rescue boats “which should have been operational since the first of May and which we still don’t have”, he explained. The situation gets worse, they add, on windy days “Peguera lacks two lifeguards and Son Maties lacks one.

“The lack of personnel makes our work difficult”, added another of the affected lifeguards.
On Thursday, those affected held a meeting and agreed to go on strike on the to show their concern. Calvia Town Hall responded on Friday that in all this time it has not received any complaint from the lifeguards.

Last summer Palma lifeguards called an indefinite strike demanding the improvements to working conditions and wages that were agreed last year but which have still not been applied. According to the lifeguards’ representative, “all the agreements signed a year ago have not been fulfilled and no measures have been implemented to improve the service”.