Thousands of people participated this Friday in the May 1st demonstration in Palma, which started from Plaza de España after 11:30 a.m. and traversed the center of the Balearic capital under the slogan 'Rights, not trenches. Salary, housing, and democracy' and with the rejection of the war in the Middle East also present.

Around 200 local police officers from Palma demonstrated this Thursday in front of the City Hall during the plenary session to send a clear message to the mayor, Jaime Martínez: to implement the force's reorganization plan. The protest, organized by the unions CSIF, SPPME, CCOO, and UGT, began at the Sant Ferran barracks and proceeded to the Plaza de Cort, with banners reading "Reorganization Plan Now!", "The Plan Only Makes the Headlines," and "Mayor, Liar!"

The Association of Police Technicians and Agents (ATAP) has expressed its astonishment and concern regarding statements made by other unions within the Palma Local Police, who are publicly demanding a reorganization plan while simultaneously denouncing the high number of sick leaves. According to ATAP, this proposal, far from solving the problem, could exacerbate it.

Tensions surrounding the 2026 teacher recruitment exam schedule reached their peak this Thursday when most unions walked out of the sectoral meeting convened by the Ministry of Education to decide whether the exams would take place in May or October. The STEI Intersindical union justified its absence, accusing the department of "blackmail" and of shirking "its responsibility to guarantee the start of the exams in June." Ultimately, the Ministry of Education made the decision unilaterally, and the exams will be held on May 9th and 10th. Previously, they were held in June. The conflict has been brewing for weeks. Initially, the Ministry proposed moving the exams to the weekend of May 9th and 10th, arguing that this would allow for all administrative procedures—assigning positions, managing temporary staff, and filling vacancies—to be completed during July, thus ensuring that schools begin the academic year with their staffing levels in place. Education Minister Antoni Vera argued that it was necessary "not to have this process in the middle of all the other processes we have in education" and warned that, if the calendar is not reorganized, "we will once again find that teachers will not be in the Islands or in the schools in September."

The works council of Mallorca Railway Services (SFM) expressed confidence that the safety measures proposed by the company's management would be aligned with those agreed between the Ministry of Transport, Adif, Renfe and the state trade union organizations.

The unions CSIF, SPPME, UGT, and CCOO have announced a series of protests, the first of which will take place on January 29 at 10:00 a.m. in Plaça de Cort, to demand the implementation of the Police Force Reorganization Plan, which was scheduled for January 1. "Not only has the agreed-upon commitment not been honored, but we are also watching with growing concern as no one takes any action, and we will likely face another term in office like this. We feel as though they are playing games with us and laughing in our faces," the organizations stated in a joint press release.

The unions representing Palma's Local Police have warned of a shortage of officers to cover the various Three Kings Day parades in the city. In a statement signed by CSIF, CCOO, UGT, and SPPME, the municipal police force has indicated that officers will have to choose between providing service at these celebrations or fulfilling their daily duties and handling unforeseen events. The unions have linked the staff shortage to the delay in the implementation of the new organizational plan, which was initially scheduled for 2026. "We have been warning for a long time about the daily situation, in which services cannot be fully covered. Given the current organizational chart and structure, we simply cannot be everywhere at once," they emphasized.

The Independent Trade Union of Civil Servants (CSIF) has once again won the union elections for the works council of the Ministry of Education and Universities, thus retaining its majority and increasing its number of delegates. The council is made up of 21 representatives: eight from CSIF, four from CCOO, four from STEI, two from UGT, two from ANPE, and one from USO. With Thursday's results, CSIF gained two more delegates than in the previous elections, with particularly strong showings in Ibiza (73%), Formentera (80%), Inca (48%), Manacor, and Palma. ANPE, for its part, has secured two representatives for the first time thanks to the confidence of the professionals working in public schools. The union expressed its gratitude for the support and emphasized that its objective is to serve all sectors within educational institutions, and considers it essential to unify responsibilities to improve management, strengthen staffing levels, and prevent job cuts.

The state public sector unions—CSIF, CCOO, and UGT—have announced a schedule of mobilizations starting this Wednesday, October 30, with a rally in front of the Government Delegation at 12 noon, and which could culminate in a general strike in December if the Ministry of Finance does not meet their demands.

The Government has established the minimum services that will apply during the general strike this Wednesday, October 15, 2025, called to condemn the genocide in Palestine and demand peace. These strikes affect sectors such as education, healthcare, transportation, public administration, social services, and the environment. Therefore, the Executive has established that essential services will be active to guarantee service to citizens.

The UOB union has accused the Minister of Education, Antoni Vera, of "disdaining" the Education Sectoral Board. "This is a fact that UOB has repeatedly denounced over the last few academic years. After displaying a despotic attitude and attempting to transform the Board into a purely informational body, the only thing missing was for Mr. Antoni Vera to publicly express his contempt for the Sectoral Board," it says.

The Independent, Autonomous, and Unitary Union (SIAU) filed a request this Saturday with the Ministry of Labor, Civil Service, and Social Dialogue to initiate disciplinary proceedings against two department heads at the General Directorate of Teaching Personnel and State-Assisted Schools. The union accuses those responsible of violating the principles of equality, merit, and ability in the recent allocation of positions to temporary teachers.

What is the task of the unions in the summer, a time when schools are empty, most teachers are on vacation, and, on paper, they should stem the daily vortex of disputes? "We are closely monitoring the selection processes for displaced teachers, the eliminated positions, and the teachers who are returning to the force. We monitor the allocation of service commissions, the competitive examination processes, the selection of temporary teaching positions, and we help people who have finished their degree and don't know how to access teaching. Because for teachers, union representative of the STEI, who estimates that there are 10 summer days when they can truly disconnect from work. The unions consulted agree on the same idea: "We have practically no vacation time. If anything, it starts in August, and it depends on how the temporary teacher allocations go. "It's usually about two weeks," explains Miquel Àngel Santos, of Alternativa Docent.

The shortage of teachers is one of the main problems of the islands' education system, compounded by the increase in student numbers and their needs. In the 2025 teaching competitions, only 55% of places have been filled, according to data from the SIAU union. However, the difference between the islands is abysmal. 100% of the places in Mallorca (8) have been filled; 88% of those in Menorca (32); but only 40% of those in Ibiza (40 of 98); and 37.5% of those in Formentera (3 of 8). Only 43% of the teaching positions offered in the Pitiusas have resulted in a permanent position.

Unions and employers remain estranged after the second day of 24-hour strikes by TIB workers in Mallorca, Menorca, and Ibiza, and are heading toward a third day this Wednesday and a possible indefinite strike starting Friday. TIB workers, however, celebrated the successful turnout, with up to 93% of the strikers participating in the second day of strikes on Monday, which continued without incident until the afternoon.

The situation of the national police officers deployed to Mallorca from Valencia continues to generate controversy. The Jupol union has reported that several officers from the Police Intervention Unit (UIP), on secondment to Palma, were forced to pay up to 700 euros in advance to remain in a hotel, after the Ministry of the Interior only paid an advance for 11 of the 18 planned nights. According to the union, the lack of solutions from the administration has put the officers assigned to reinforce summer security in a critical situation, a situation they consider "shameful."

The new hospitality industry agreement is now a reality, despite the rejection of the CCOO (Working Council of Workers) and the Menorca Hotel Association (Ashome). It includes a 13.5% salary increase over three years: 6% this year, 4% in 2026, and 3.5% in 2027. The agreement, sealed this Tuesday, includes other aspects such as the modernization of the agreement, flexibility in hiring, work organization, and weekly rest periods. The president of the CCOO Services Federation in the Balearic Islands, Héctor Gómez, called the agreement the "worst agreement in history," while the general secretary of the UGT (Working Council of Workers) Services, Mobility, and Commerce Federation—the largest force in the sector—José García, retorted: "It's the best collective agreement in history," he said.