Four hours of talks at the TAMIB arbitration tribunal on Friday again failed to resolve the dispute between the SATI union and the transport federation. Now indefinite, there will be strike action on Saturday and Sunday and then every day until a breakthrough can be achieved.
Far from easing tensions between the two sides, the Friday meeting just heightened them. The union accused the employers of "leaving the table and slamming the door" and called its representative "arrogant and dictatorial". The federation said the bus operators were growing tired of SATI's inaction and unacceptable demands and of not having budged one iota in the negotiations.
Petra Mut of the Balearic Transport Federation claimed that progress which has been made has been due to employers' concessions. "We've made many concessions, but they haven't agreed to a single request. Every time we give in on something, they ask for something more without offering anything in return."
She maintained that union representatives have adopted unrealistic positions that are separate to the original scope of the negotiations. The SATI, the majority union, has displayed an "acrimony" which has been a key factor in the stagnation of the negotiations. The lack of support from the other unions in the sector, the UGT and the CCOO, has also been a factor.
The SATI issued a statement saying that Mut had left the negotiating table, "demonstrating her poor negotiating skills and leaving the employers in the lurch". The union acknowledged progress made in respect of, for example, working hours, but criticised the "unwavering" stance on other issues, such as salaries, with the same proposal "that we had previously rejected". Including increments for inflation, the employers' offer amounts to 12% over four years. The union has reiterated that this is insufficient.
On Friday, when there was another demonstration at Palma's Intermodal Station, participation in the strike by TIB drivers was put at 97%, the highest so far.