More than 30,000 undocumented immigrants in the Islands now have the possibility to emerge from invisibility. Since April 16, long queues at town halls have become the image of the extraordinary regularization driven by the Spanish government. They have been preparing documentation for months, but until the last minute they did not know that they would also need a vulnerability certificate, and that explains, in part, the system's saturation. "I don't understand why they want it, if all of us who are undocumented are vulnerable," reflects Abdou, a 32-year-old Senegalese man. Despite this, the priority is clear. "Even if we have to lose days of work: papers are papers," assures Khalid.

More than a hundred people gathered this Friday on the Born promenade in Palma, called by UGT, to protest against a state agreement in the commerce sector that, according to the union, could mean a reduction in salary and rights for thousands of workers in the Islands.

The Damm group has reached an agreement with the workers of Agama after weeks of negotiations. Due to the factory closure in PalmaThe company will relocate five of the 14 workers, and the remaining nine will receive severance pay higher than initially agreed upon. However, according to Jesús Ávila, spokesperson for the Agama workers, the five who will remain will retain their current salaries and other employment benefits, such as seniority. Sources within the company told ARA Baleares that a social support plan has been designed, which includes the possibility of redeployment for 100% of the workforce to other companies within the group, most of them in Mallorca. Furthermore, Damm stated that they are committed to offering "an individualized solution to all those affected." As for the workers who do not accept the redeployment plan and decide to leave the company voluntarily, the agreement reached with Damm includes improved severance packages.

The third day of the new week of doctors' strikes in the Balearic Islands has forced the cancellation of a total of 3,863 appointments, diagnostic tests, and surgeries across the archipelago, according to provisional data released Wednesday by the Balearic Islands Health Service (Ib-Salut). Mallorca is the most affected island, with 3,249 medical procedures canceled. The majority of the cancellations occurred in primary care, with 2,180 appointments postponed. Regarding outpatient consultations and diagnostic tests, 1,615 appointments were canceled, while 68 surgeries were suspended.

Unemployment continues to fall in the Balearic Islands at the start of the tourist season. The archipelago ended February with 27,339 unemployed people, 7.03% fewer than a year ago and 2.52% fewer than in January. At the same time, Social Security affiliation rose to 505,280 workers, representing a year-on-year increase of 1.97% and a monthly increase of 2.75%. According to data published this Tuesday by the Ministries of Labor and Inclusion and Social Security, in absolute terms, unemployment has decreased by 706 people compared to January and by 2,068 compared to February 2025. As for affiliation, 13,529 more people are contributing to Social Security this year.

The Balearic Islands Health Service (Ib-Salut) has established minimum services for the statewide strike of medical and medical staff of the A1 group of the National Health System, called from Monday 16 to Friday 20 February, as a protest against the framework statute.

The municipal secretary of Petra, Francisco González, has filed a complaint against the town's mayor, Salvador Femenias, for alleged workplace harassment. The secretary, who has been on sick leave since June, filed the complaint with the Civil Guard in Manacor, who have opened a preliminary investigation. In fact, several town councilors have already been called to give statements as witnesses. When consulted by All PlansFemenias denied knowing about the secretary's complaint to the Civil Guard. However, he confirmed that just yesterday, Rafel Font, a councilor from his governing team and third deputy mayor, had been summoned and went to give a statement to the Civil Guard. He added, "I suppose they'll call me soon." Femenias appeared calm and surprised that the secretary had filed the complaint with the Civil Guard. The reason: "He already reported us to the company that handles our occupational risk prevention, and a psychologist from that company came and wrote a report concluding that there was nothing to what he was alleging, no harassment." The trigger for this situation seems to be an informational committee meeting on June 19, 2025, shortly before the secretary went on sick leave. At this meeting of councilors from all parties, prior to the municipal plenary session, information was to be provided regarding the agreement between civil servants and contract staff.

The Balearic Islands ended 2025 with 101,608 self-employed workers, the highest figure ever recorded in the Special Regime for Self-Employed Workers (RETA). In the last year, this group grew by 2,126 people, a 2.1% increase compared to December 2024, confirming the upward trend in self-employment in the archipelago. This growth is unevenly distributed among the islands, with Mallorca accounting for nearly 79% of the self-employed, with 76,001 professionals. It is followed by Menorca, with 14,102 members; Ibiza, with 7,612; and Formentera, with 928. This snapshot demonstrates the significant role of the self-employed group throughout the islands and their crucial contribution to the local economy.

The Palma City Council, through PalmaActiva, has organized another edition of Employment Month, which will take place from February 16 to March 20. This year, 36 companies are participating, offering 1,253 jobs. As in previous editions, 19 events will be held during this period, with the main objective of directly connecting companies seeking staff with job seekers.

Registered unemployment at public employment offices in the Balearic Islands fell by 1,260 people in January compared to the previous month (-4.3%) and by 1,515 people compared to the first month of last year (-5.13%). Thus, the archipelago begins the year slightly above 28,000 unemployed (28,045), according to data published this Tuesday by the Ministry of Labor and Social Economy. At the beginning of the year, the sectors with the most unemployed were services (21,219, down 1,104 from December) and construction (3,088, down 93), while the sectors with the fewest unemployed were agriculture (353, down 12) and industry (1,209). Regarding gender, of the 28,045 unemployed registered in January, 15,842 were women and 12,203 were men. Unemployment among young people under 25 stood at 3,769, of whom 2,104 were men and 1,665 were women. In the last month of the year, unemployment among foreigners stood at 6,617 people, after falling 7.88% compared to December and 0.93% compared to the previous year. In January, 20,013 contracts were registered in the Balearic Islands, 6.5% fewer than the previous year. Of these, 13,188 were permanent contracts (-5.86%) and 6,825 were temporary contracts (-7.72%). The Balearic Islands are approaching half a million people affiliated with Social Security.

The Balearic Islands registered 491,750 Social Security affiliates in January, 8,560 fewer than the previous month (-1.71%), according to data released Tuesday by the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration. Year-on-year, affiliation in the Autonomous Community has increased by 10,882 workers compared to January 2015, a 2.26% rise. Across Spain, the labor market has grown by almost 480,000 Social Security affiliates in the last 12 months, specifically 477,818 affiliates in the original series, reaching a total of 21,573,632. This represents a 2.3% year-on-year increase and the highest level for a January in the entire series. Specifically, in the Balearic Islands, the general Social Security system has 388,974 contributors, 7,827 of whom are registered as domestic workers and 2,228 as agricultural workers. In addition, there are 100,987 people registered as self-employed and 1,790 as maritime workers. Furthermore, at the beginning of the year, 138 workers in the archipelago were on Temporary Employment Regulation Files (ERTEs), 68 women and 60 men.

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Diego is 34 years old and works as a photographer. He earns around €1,300 in 12 payments and, after eight years with the company, is still on an assistant contract. "I've gotten used to precariousness," he says. His salary allows him to cover his bills, but it doesn't leave him any room for error. Any unexpected expense—a special assessment, a repair, or equipment failure—forces him to take out a loan or ask his mother for help. It's not a temporary situation, but a stable way of life.

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The data shows that almost everyone in the Balearic Islands is employed. But the reality is more complex: thousands of people are unemployed for months or years, and many workers cannot sustain a life plan with current wages. The average number of people registered with Social Security was 585,000 in December, and sectors such as services and hospitality are demanding workers. But it is precisely these sectors that have the highest unemployment rates. Of the 29,305 people without work in the Islands, 22,323 are from the services sector and 3,181 from construction: they represent 87% of the total for December – data from the Ministry of Labor and Social Economy.

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A waiter at a well-known bar in Arenal, frequented by German tourists, has been fired and has revealed in a labor lawsuit, to which ARA Baleares has had access, that the establishment allegedly had an under-the-table payment system. The bar worker has filed a lawsuit with the Labor Court seeking moral damages and requesting that the dismissal be declared null and void or, alternatively, unfair. According to his account, the company dismissed him as part of a "strategy" to halt the unionization process among the staff, as he planned to promote union elections representing the UGT (General Union of Workers). According to the affected worker, shortly before receiving his dismissal letter, members of management made a threatening comment about a relative of his, a well-known union member on the island, which—he maintains—demonstrates their awareness of the union activity that was developing within the company.

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The doctors' strike against the reform of the Framework Statute proposed by the Ministry of Health has forced the rescheduling of a total of 11,538 appointments and 316 surgeries across the Balearic Islands this week. According to a statement released by the Balearic Government on Saturday, the strikes have led to the rescheduling of 5,396 hospital appointments, 6,142 primary care appointments, 575 radiological tests, and 175 diagnostic procedures throughout the autonomous community.

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Workplace accidents in the Balearic Islands during peak season have decreased by 9.6 percent compared to July, August, and September of 2024. This was announced during Monday's meeting of the tripartite advisory committee of the Labor and Social Security Inspectorate, which includes representatives from the government, employers' associations, and unions. The meeting analyzed accident data for the busiest period in the Islands, namely July, August, and September. According to reports following the meeting, these three months saw a drop of more than 1,200 accidents. It has also been observed that in the cumulative period from January to September, there has been a 9.6% decrease in workplace accidents compared to the same period in 2024. This reduction consolidates a sustained downward trend that has been strengthening year after year since the reactivation of the labor market following the forced redundancy measures. In fact, the cumulative decrease since 2022 is 28%. This is a sustained trend, which confirms the effectiveness of preventive policies and the shared commitment between the Administration and the productive sector, the Government explained. High season

During the three-month peak season, Mallorca, with an 8.36% reduction in workplace accidents over the past year, maintains a steady downward trend. Menorca also improved its results, closing the period with a 12.15% decrease. The situation in Ibiza is particularly noteworthy, registering the largest reduction (42.19%) and reaching levels significantly lower than in previous years. Formentera shows a slight increase in 2025, which is normal for a small labor market sensitive to occasional fluctuations. Regarding economic sectors, the data shows a general decrease in workplace accidents. In construction, accidents fell by 5.95%; in agriculture, by 8.20%; in industry, by 9.85%; and in services, by 9.97%. The data highlights that the services sector maintains its sustained downward trend, and the hospitality industry, one of the islands' economic drivers, closes the period with an 11.46% decrease. This progress demonstrates the joint effort of businesses and government to strengthen training, prevention, and a safety culture in all areas of production. Regarding fatal accidents, the Balearic Islands recorded six incidents up to September 30th, the same number as the previous year, of which three werein itinere.

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The National Police in Palma have arrested two women accused of running a restaurant with undocumented workers without contracts, sometimes paying them with a dish from the menu for eight- to ten-hour shifts.

]]> In the last fifteen years, 5,000 businesses have closed their doors in the Balearic Islands. It's a staggering figure and shows that we are facing a profound change in the model that goes beyond the economy. The closure of traditional commerce is also a process of collective loss: of the uniqueness of our streets, of the identity of neighborhoods and towns, of the network of trust and mutual support that is generated between customers and merchants.

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The Public Services Federation of the UGT Balearic Islands has requested an investment plan for air conditioning and ventilation in schools so that "it does not depend on families or staff." This is one of the demands put forward by the union in response to the news. published this Friday in the ARA Baleares, which explains that families and teachers have financed the purchase of fans and air conditioning equipment "out of pocket."

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The High Court of Justice of the Balearic Islands (TSJIB) has upheld the decision of a labor court in Palma to reject a work transfer to Alicante Airport, in order to care for his sick parents, requested by an Aena employee who works as a firefighter at the Son Bonet airfield (Marratxí).

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