No service station closures in islands

BALEARIC service stations will not be taking part in the one day closure called for by the Confederation of Spanish Service Stations (CEEES) on Thursday May 25 because the majority of them are members of the other big organisation of this sector, the Fuel Retailers Group (AEVECAR), according to the President of the Association of Balearic Service Station owners, Jesus Salas. He did not give much importance to the conflict stirred up by a supposed imposition of prices on the part of the petrol companies and said that “it depends on the type of contract that each distributor has with his supplier”. Salas, who is also vice president of AEVECAR, rejected the idea that the Group would join the one-day closure plan after the meeting of the executive committee on Tuesday May 23 in Valencia and said that the matters to be discussed will centre on the banning of the sale of tobacco which, together with the ban imposed on the sale of alcohol some time ago, are causing serious financial problems for service stations. The Association of Balearic Service Station owners has 103 members from a total of 250 service stations in the Balearics, among them petrol pumps situated in the ports, as well as other small supply units. There are also two groups, which own more than 30 service stations, which are not members of either of the two associations (CEEES and AEVECAR) and will therefore not be taking part in the one day closure. According to Jesus Salas, if AEVECAR decided later on protest action, this would be due to the “discrimination” against service stations in the matter of banning the sale of alcohol and tobacco in these while permitting them in other outlets. Any action to be taken would start with night closures, as this is the time when there is least activity in the service stations. CEEES, which has almost 4'000 members, wants the Court rulings to be complied with. It is also demanding that the big companies, Repsol and Cepsa, should stop fixing the sale price of fuel.