The first day of the strike by TIB bus drivers saw moments of tension at Palma's Intermodal Station in the Plaza España in Palma, where there were clashes between pickets and drivers prepared to cross the picket line.
There were shouts of "scabs" and there was much jeering. A female driver was forced to get out of the bus she was about to take out of the station.
Outside the station, around 100 TIB workers staged a rally, carrying banners demanding a decent agreement, final talks on Thursday to avert the strike having collapsed.
Seven buses suffered damages, with some coming under attack by stone-throwing pickets as they began their routes. Several bus windscreens were shattered, forcing the vehicles to return to the depot in Alcudia. These incidents disrupted minimum service levels, as the scheduled journeys could not be carried out. The protest also affected certain routes linking Palma with the airport, and one minor injury was reported - a passenger travelling on an Aerotib line.
If the schedule remains in place, the strike will be repeated on 21, 23, and 25 July, with the possibility of becoming indefinite from 25 July.
The SATI union, which called the strike, has criticised adjustment made to schedules and frequencies, saying that the bus operators are prioritising tourist routes over the needs of residents. 60% minimum service levels have been applied.
The SATI is the largest union for bus workers in the Balearics. The CCOO, for one, has not given its support to a strike which also affects Menorca and Ibiza. In the case of Ibiza, the CCOO is the principal union.