Strike threats in hospital and transport sectors

Staff Reporter INDUSTRIAL action is threatened on two fronts over the coming months: Palma bus drivers and Son Dureta hospital cleaning staff plan to air their greivances The EMT (Municipal Transport Company) workers are studying action, claiming that management and Mayor Catalina Cirer have not kept to signed agreements and “are trying to deceive us.” The unions have been analysing the situation which arose when management refused to register the agreement signed on March 8. Its clauses included wage increases for the next few years, and the signing lead the union to call off strikes due to be held at the beginning of this month. According to the unions, once the strike was called off and the general elections held, the management went back on its promises and refused to add the agreements to the wage settlement. A spokesman said that this was “bad faith, and intolerable,” pointing out that the agreement was signed in the presence of the Mayor. He predicted “permanent conflict” in the company, “which will not benefit residents.” A meeting has been scheduled to discuss the next steps, which could include new strikes. The move comes at a time when the council is trying to boost the use of public transport. The cleaning staff at the Son Dureta national health hospital have voted in favour of an indefinite strike from May 17. A union spokesman said that the last straw had been the last minute cancellation of talks. He added that the work load has been increased in the past three weeks, when the company which has the cleaning contract ruled that 37 people should cover the work of 40. He went on to say that the workers were tired of “being treated like pariahs” and claimed that the cleaning company and the hospital management had “lost all credibility.” The management was accused of being “irresponsible” towards hospital patients. The cleaning staff numbers 150 workers. The union, which says it is tired of “being taken for a fool,” is prepared to negotiate minimum services which would operate during the strike, the spokesman said.