Massive hotel strike to ruin everyone's favourite European holiday spot
One of the world's favourite holiday islands are set to grind to a halt again this summer with a wave of strikes by hotel staff amid protests over pay and conditions.
The Spanish Balearic Islands of Mallorca, Ibiza and Menorca will be hit with drastic action throughout the peak June and July holiday season.
This summer's disruption was planned after the workers' union, UGT, says no progress has been made over their demands for better pay and conditions.
There is also a raft of specifically anti-tourist action planned, including occupying beaches and supergluing apartment locks.
Unless a last-ditch deal is struck, there will be a mass walkout on June 6 followed by several days of strike action in July.
The union warned tourists their holidays will be seriously impacted if the action goes ahead – and urged hotels to do everything within their power to prevent it.
Specific demonstrations are planned for Platja de Palma and Palmanova-Magaluf – both beach spots on Mallorca.
The UGT is the hospitality sector's largest union, and is spearheading efforts to renegotiate the Collective Agreement of the Balearic hotel industry.
Thousands of hotel workers – including restaurant and bar staff – have already walked out earlier this year on May 1.
The new wave will kick off right in front of the headquarters of the hotel federation of Mallorca – and at the end of June demonstrations will spring up at Platja de Palma and Palmanova-Magaluf.
But the height of the disruption has been scheduled for July – with a call for several days of strike that will take place on alternate weeks.
General secretary of UGT-Services on the islands, José García Relucio, said that very little had been agreed so far – other than that the new agreement will apply for three years.
There is still a huge void between the two sides' position on pay rises.
The union demands wages must rise by 19 per cent across the three years to 2027, while the offer from employers flags at 8.5 per cent, less than half the demand.
With few signs of an imminent consensus, union chiefs decided on Wednesday to begin mobilising strike plans.
On June 6, crowds of delegates are expected to meet at the UGT headquarters in Palma for an assembly.
Attendees will be updated on the progress of the negotiations before a rally at noon outside the Mallorcan Hotel Federation.
And another rally is scheduled for the end of June at the Platja de Palma, this time in front of the local hotel association HQ.
The union hopes to add another similar protest in the Palmanova-Magaluf area, so that the workers' fury will be felt in the main tourist centre in the Bay of Palma.
But the main event will come in July, according to island newspaper Diario de Mallorca.
A UGT official said: 'If we don't see the possibility of an agreement in principle, we will call a strike lasting several days.'
Their intention, the union confirmed, is to disrupt tourists' holidays as much as possible. Make as much impact as possible on tourists.
Another union the CCOO (Working Council of Workers) has been invited to join in.
The union's complaints include a lack of access to decent housing, the tourist saturation without benefit, growing workloads, stagnating salaries and wage discrimination.
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