Spain hol chaos latest after fuming locals threaten to BLOCK busy airport amid protest mayhem & ‘tourist go home' alert
The unions
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Demonstrators take part in a protest against mass tourism in Palma last month
Credit: AFP via Getty Images
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Protests against overtourism have erupted across Spain since April 2024
Credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images
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Spanish union bosses threatened to blockade Palma's busy airport later this month
Credit: Getty Images
And hotels, restaurants and clubs in the
The unions announcement yesterday of chaos-causing demos in airport arrivals and departures led to last-minute talks with employer representatives and a 13.5 pay increase offer union bosses accepted.
And, just hours after threatening to blockade the airport on July 10, union bosses confirmed they have called off the Balearic Islands hotel strike that was due to affect Irish holidaymakers.
UGT Balears, one of the two main unions behind the planned walkout over five days in July, confirmed overnight: "The strike in the hotel and catering sector has been called off following the pre-agreement between us and hotel bosses for the new collective agreement.
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'Salary increase of 13.5 per cent in three years, the largest increase in the history of the Balearic Islands."
The Majorca Hotel Business Federation confirmed around the same time: "An agreement in principle has been reached and the UGT has agreed to desist from the strikes it had announced and cancel them."
Second union CCOO is now expected to come on board along with employer representatives in the bar-restaurant and nightclub sectors which would also have been affected by strikes although to a lesser degree.
The final agreement sealing the eleventh-hour deal is expected to be signed next week.
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The airport blockade threat is thought to have been key to the decision of unions and hotel employer representatives in Majorca to start negotiating again after the breakdown of talks and strike announcements last Thursday.
Emergency alarm raised at Majorca airport after roof collapses
The UGT announced around midday yesterday a demonstration at Palma airport would take place on the first day of planned strike action on July 10 'in both the departures and arrivals areas.'
It added in a statement: 'The aim is to 'block these accesses' to the Balearic capital's aerodrome.'
It also announced demonstrations in other key tourists areas including
Walkouts involving an expected 180,000 hotel and catering sector workers in
The salary rise over three years will see workers get six per cent extra this year, four per cent next and 3.5 per cent in 2027.
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Hotel workers in the Balearics earn less than the average hospitality worker in Spain
Credit: Getty Images
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Protesters chant slogans at tourists as National Police officers stand guard in Palma
Credit: REUTERS/Francisco Ubilla
Last week an eleventh-hour deal was announced to avert the threat of hotel strike action in
The lifting of the strike threat in the Balearic Islands is not expected to impact on
A massive anti-tourist demonstration took place in
Around 100 noisy activists banging drums surrounded upmarket eatery Cappuccino Borne next to a McDonald's in the centre of Palma after their protest finished.
of dining tourists and chanted "go home" and "go to hell
".
Police moved in to ease tension as the demonstrators held up cardboard posters reading: 'As You Come, I Have To Go.'
The protestors also chanted ''The Streets Will Always Be Ours', Go Home' in English and 'No Balconing' in a reference to the young tourists who have traditionally been blamed by islanders for the dangerous practice of jumping from Magaluf hotel balconies into their swimming pools or trying to climb between balconies while under the influence of drink and drugs.
The Balearics Islands Government vice-president Antoni Costa said afterwards their behaviour had been 'unacceptable.'
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The streets of Majorca have seen a number of protests against overtourism since the start of the year
Credit: REUTERS/Francisco Ubilla
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Demonstrators hold 'For sale' signs during a protest against mass tourism in Palma last month
Credit: Getty Images
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