Around a thousand National Police and Guardia Civil officers took part in a demonstration in Palma yesterday to demand equal pay with regional police forces - the Mossos in Catalonia and the Ertzaintza in the Basque Country.
The protest march, which started from the Plaça Espanya, featured a banner with the slogan "Equalisation, now. Salary justice". Convened by the Juspaol organisation, which fights for police pay equality, the demand was to end a salary difference which is put at up to 600 euros (gross) per month. This affects some 2,500 National Police and Guardia Civil officers in the Balearics.
The spokesperson for Jusapol Majorca, Chechu Enrique, said that regional police receive extraordinary double payments, whereas in the Balearics there are complementary payments. There are also differences in terms of overtime, attendance at trials on days off and, above all, retirement. "It is a struggle that has been going on for thirty years. No government of whatever political colour has solved the problem. We now say that enough is enough. We want justice."
Also taking part in the protest were officers' families, members of the public who wanted to show support and some politicians. Palma's councillor for public safety, Angelica Pastor, wanted to give her backing to salary equalisation and to the demand for additional police officers.
Juan Pedro Yllanes, the former judge who is now a member of Congress for Podemos in the Balearics, said that his party has already called on the interior ministry to accept salary equalisation and to do so without "deceptive or abusive clauses".