The awarding of the tender for lifeguard services at Palma beaches will include a factor for the number of women that applicant companies intend employing.
The tender, which has been raised by the town hall's environment department, is for a service which has some 250 employees for the tourism season. Within the social and environmental criteria, up to 15 out of 20 points will be for equal opportunities; the remaining five will be related to the environment.
The fifteen points comprise five for committing to employ more women lifeguards than men; five for having more women in managerial/supervisory roles than men; and five more for a minimum of two hours training in equality rights and conciliation.
The environment councillor, Ramon Perpinyà, says that this is positive discrimination and is intended to "normalise the labour situation between the sexes".
The total budget for the lifeguard services tender is 3.05 million euros.