EMT workers on indefinite strike in Palma. | Youtube: Ultima Hora

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EMT passengers have already put up with three days of partial strikes and they're furious that the indefinite strike went ahead on Monday.

Long queues had formed at bus stops all over the city in the early hours of the morning and by 8 o'clock passengers were stressing about whether they would get to work on time.

"I take this bus every day and the journey usually takes a quarter of an hour, but today it will be at least 40 minutes," said Marcos Onaindia who was waiting for the bus to Cala Major.

The bus strike is also a total nightmare for people who live in the Part Forana.

“I had to leave home at seven o’clock this morning,” says Carmen from Inca, who was still waiting for the number 7 to arrive at 0830.

Only 30% of the city’s EMT buses are running during the strike which is causing huge delays and when the bus does eventually arrive there’s no guarantee that there will be room for any more passengers.

"This bus usually passes every ten minutes,” said one passenger, “but I’ve been waiting for more than half an hour and the screen says it won't arrive for another 11 minutes.”

Taxis

Tons of customers left home extra early to compensate for the reduced bus service, but as they stood at the bus stop and the minutes stretched on, some people decided to club together and pay for a taxi, so that they wouldn’t be late for work.

The strike could not have happened at a worse time. The new school term got underway on September 10 with a staggered return to class and hundreds of children went back to school on Monday for the first time since the pandemic began.

The EMT workers have a long list of grievances, many of which are related to working conditions during the coronavirus pandemic.

The hope is that two sides can hammer out an agreement when they meet on Monday afternoon and bring the strike to an end.