The general strike makes itself felt in the street, but does not stop Menorca

CitadelThe general strike day did not stop Menorca. The impact was limited but, on the other hand, the mobilization on the streets was quite significant.

At noon, more than a thousand people gathered in Mahón to protest in front of banks and real estate agencies to demand, with shouts and banners, the need to facilitate access to housing and improve wages and pensions.

Gathered at the Fish market in Mahón to perform a 'Strike House' demonstration with beds, tables, and chairs, the activists moved to the Plaza de la Constitución, in front of the Town Hall, to make their protest clear. “The streets will always be ours,” they shouted, demanding that “there be no houses without people nor people without houses.”

It was only the appetizer for the double demonstration that the convening unions, CCOO, UGT, and STEI, have planned for this Wednesday evening: at five o'clock at the Plaza de la Quintana de Mar in Ciutadella and at six o'clock, at the Esplanada in Mahón.

The police presence is noticeable at all times on the streets. In fact, the National Police have set up a special operation, reinforced by the arrival of several UPR units from Palma. The objective is twofold: to look after citizen security, but also the right to strike.

Despite the pickets set up by unions at the bus station, supermarkets, and some of the island's main businesses, the impact has been minimal. This has been corroborated by sources from the employers' association PIME, which has noticed almost no work stoppage in the industrial estates of Maó and Ciutadella.

A good example is the case of Industrial Quesera Menorquina (IQM), the former Caserío factory, where the strike was only followed, according to the CCOO union, by 15% of its 160 workers. The chairwoman of the works council, Margot Sastre, attributes this, in part, to the “generational change. Young people are not aware enough and it is harder for them than anyone else to make ends meet and they prefer not to stop to avoid losing a day's salary”.

Commercial activity has been affected more, as some establishments have opted not to open their doors and to protect their windows with wooden boards to avoid becoming victims of any incident or damage.

In the public sector, the expected work stoppage was not achieved either. At health centers, emergency services, the ICU, and 061 have maintained 100% of their operations, and at the Mateu Orfila Hospital, all scheduled interventions for oncology patients and other urgent cases have also been guaranteed.

The president of the medical union (Simebal), Claudio Triay, has confirmed the poor impact of the strike among doctors, and at centers like the Canal Salat in Ciutadella, only three workers have stopped.

The minimum services decreed by the Island Council have also been respected. Buses must run at least half of their frequencies and maintain all of them for school transport and trips to the hospital. At the two ITV stations, there must be a minimum team of four people. On the other hand, at least four cancellations have been recorded at the airport, especially on inter-island connections between Menorca and Palma.

Many nursery schools have indeed recorded a greater follow-up, to the point that parents have been seen on the streets who have chosen to spend the day off with their families.

The unions say that the problem in Menorca is not so much about wealth as it is about its distribution, and they contrast the large investments and fortunes that the island attracts with the precarious situation suffered by families, young people, and groups such as chambermaids, caregivers, and cleaning staff.

The strike committee asserts that the average price of new rental contracts in Menorca last year was 1,040.78 euros, practically double what it was five years ago. It is more than half the 1,939 euros that, according to a CCOO study, must be earned at a minimum in Menorca to be able to cope with the cost of living.

To all this, it must be added that almost four out of ten homes in Menorca are not used as a primary residence and that tourist rentals continue to spread, leaving many homes empty during the winter.