19/12/2013 00:00
TW
0

Palma.—The General Workers Union (UGT) yesterday described a pay rise made to Juan Iglesias, the Managing Director of Palma's Municipal Bus Company EMT as “indecent.” UGT spokesman Antoni Puig said that it is totally unacceptable that while Palma City Council is “constantly” talking about minimising staff costs, it can without consultation put up the salary of EMT's Managing Director by 8.7 percent in comparison with what was being earned by his predecessor. “The workers at the bus company are very surprised that the City Council appears to say one thing and then do exactly the opposite. Their hypocrisy is unlimited,” said Puig.

He pointed out that for three years now, workers at EMT have had their wages frozen - “even this would appear not to be enough to satisfy management,” said Puig, referring to the fact that there is pressure to lower salary levels by a further 10 percent. “It's immoral,” said Puig, “that the same people who are telling us to make sacrifices and make do with less are the very same who are giving themselves a pay rise.” Puig said that the Union can now give little credence to EMT management.

Puig said that a week before the last regional elections in May, the present Mayor of Palma, Mateo Isern, had visited the bus company a week prior to voting. “He asked for our help in getting EMT out of the debt situation it found itself in,” said Puig. “What the Mayor actually meant, was a reduction in services, a rise in ticket costs and cuts in workers' rights,” he alleged.

Hot air “From what we can see, the austerity measures that the City Council talks about are nothing other than hot air. Everyone else seems to be suffering but not them,” he criticised.

He also said that EMT had been in the news over the last few weeks because the company had contracted new management positions and external companies, decisions which were severely criticised by unions with representation in the company. The moves were considered “unnecessary.”