The hauliers strike, which is continuing on the mainland, is causing some shortages on supermarket shelves in the Balearics. Faced with this situation, supermarkets are buying locally to help alleviate the lack of fresh products as well as others such as pasta and biscuits.
Although empty shelves are beginning to be seen, formulas are being sought to avoid a total lack of certain products. However, the president of the ADED distributors association, Bartomeu Servera, points out that local product is not enough to cover what is not being supplied from the mainland.
In the Balearics, employers associations have welcomed the agreement struck on Wednesday between the regional government and hauliers. The CAEB Confederation of Balearic Business Associations is urging the Spanish government to specify similar aid at the national level.
As well as issues with supply, employers are greatly concerned by inflationary pressure and so want a special aid plan to mitigate the effects of escalating costs on the transport of goods. Proposals from the CAEB are in fact similar to those due to be presented at a Thursday meeting between government ministers and business representatives on the National Road Transport Committee, such as a discount for the tax on diesel.
Carmen Planas, the CAEB president, says that there are no shortages but that the sale of certain products is having to be limited.
The agreement in the Balearics, valued at 5.5 million euros, means that a planned strike by the Balearic Transport Federation, due to have started on March 28, will not now go ahead. The regional transport minister, Josep Marí, points out that the Balearics is the first region to have created a specific line of aid for the freight transport sector. "We are a government with a president who makes agreements through social dialogue and puts them into practice."