02/05/2004 00:00
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By Humphrey Carter MAY Day marches were held across the Balearics and Spain yesterday with workers calling for jobs and peace. With a Socialist government now in power, there were few protests with marchers rallying in solidarity with the victims of the March 11 bomb attacks in Madrid; in support of the change of government in Spain; and the expansion of the European Union.


The only demands were on the new government to stick to its pledge to defend worker' rights.
In Palma, there was a very festive air to the traditional May Day march with a giant paella waiting for marchers in the Parc de la Mar along with childrens' entertainers.

Union bosses and organisers claimed yesterday afternoon that 2'000 people took part, the Local Police put the attendance at 450.
UGT General Workers Union boss in the Balearics, Lorenzo Bravo, addressed marchers at the Parc de la Mar rally, calling for an end to terrorism, both Islamic and domestic in Spain, an end to domestic violence and abuse in the work place. He praised the result of the March general elections, saying it was a victory for the Spanish people and called on Balearic president, Jaume Matas, to get to work “after a year of being absent.” “We've gone from a tourist tax government to an all-inclusive government,” Bravo said, urging local businesses to take greater care of their employees, improve health and safety measures and work towards solving their problems.