Dear Editor,
With reference to the Coach Drivers' strike, I have never been, nor will ever be, a Socialist. My political beliefs have always leaned towards the Capitalist view of the world as we know it. I have read little in either the MDB or the Ultima Hora on the drivers' claims or their working conditions; I have, however, read the views put forward by the Big Boss of the Coach Operators' Association, a Sr. Batle. And I ask, are the views of a Coach operator/Hotelier/God knows what else multimillionnaire in touch with the needs and opinions of the average working man? I think not. I run a little Showbar in Magalluf and we too have suffered financially from the strike but I find myself sympathising with the drivers. These guys are personally responsible for maybe 50 passengers per trip, they have to load and then unload their cases, and then manoeuvre these gigantic machines through roads that were built for Seat 600*s; they have to put up with cars parked in their unloading zones because the Authorities do not police the streets as they should, and the stress level must be very, very high. At the end of the day, all this hassle could have been, and should have been avoided by paying these men a decent, living wage, rather than the Operators worrying where their next Mercedes or finca or villa is coming from.