The works committee of the EMT municipal bus company has admitted that industrial action this month is unavoidable and blamed the management.
Palma.—According to shop stewards representing the employees, it is going to be extremely difficult to avoid industrial action because the management is refusing to enter into negotiations.
The president of the works committee, Andres Rodriguez, said that the main cause of the dispute is that workers want their double pay back dated to 2012, the last time it was paid, that all over time is also back dated and paid and that more staff are employed to ease the mounting pressure on drivers.
However, the EMTpresident, Gabriel Vallejo, maintains that it is impossible to meet all the demands of the unions because it would cost the public company some three million euros, which EMTsimply does not have, to clear back dated pay and an extra two million euros per year in extra staff and a shorter working week.
Deadlock
So, with a deadlock in sight, industrial action looks set to begin on the eve of the Sant Sebastia fiestas on 19 January when only minimum services, which are going to be agreed upon at a meeting tomorrow, will be running between 8am and 10am and then 7pm and 9pm.