The keys to understanding the TIB workers' 'revolt'

PalmTIB workers called a strike—first on specific days and then indefinitely—which ended in open confrontation between union representatives (SATI) and management. "They fled like rats," the workers' representatives once said of the fruitless attempts to reach an agreement. Convinced they must continue to defend their rights, they have created a strike fund to compensate for the loss of income during the strike. After eight months of negotiations, they are demanding an 8.5% pay raise to recover the purchasing power lost in recent years due to inflation and to regulate their working hours to ensure drivers' rest breaks. This Thursday afternoon, however, the parties reached an agreement in principle to call off the TIB strike. How did they get to this situation? The factors are multiple: an increase in travelers without the means to serve them, a lack of foresight, the effects of overcrowding, and work-related stress due to anxiety, among other causes.

Growth in travelers

The Mallorca Transport Consortium's bus figures reflect an exponential increase in ridership, which is saturating some lines and generating numerous complaints. In 2024, the route ended with 28.3 million passengers, triple the number just over five years ago. The Pact had estimated 11 million passengers when awarding the service in 2019. To serve them, they grouped the old lines into three main zones, awarded to three different companies until 2030.

Pact contract with a 47% increase in investment. From the 43 million euros invested annually until 2024, this year they have increased to 63.6 million, a figure that the Government plans to maintain.

Lack of staff

When the service was created, the fleet and personnel required to cover 16.5 million kilometers in a year were estimated. Today, this figure has risen by 50%, with 24.6 million kilometers traveled each year. In the first four months of 2025, the increase is 20%, exceeding the forecasts of the Mallorca Transport Consortium.

Growing tension

Despite measures to expand public resources, which include the gradual addition of 37 new buses and more drivers, the reality continues to worsen, and some lines are a nightmare for both riders and drivers. Marc Crespí, spokesperson for the TIB ridership, complains that the problem isn't just the increase in traffic. "There are too few direct buses, the journey takes forever, and sometimes you risk being left on the ground. I'm convinced the previous government miscalculated. The tachographs probably didn't have all the real information on the hours and kilometers traveled, and when they made the allocations, they presented an insane scenario."

Free service

Although free public transport is considered a good measure to promote public transport, the workers' union complains that the service "needs more resources to avoid operating precariously." And the companies aren't providing more because the contract has already been awarded. "They've increased their prices to the maximum possible so they don't have to bid again. The pressure comes from the users themselves. You arrive at a strike with your tongue hanging out, and when you open the door, a few people are already pointing at your clock and yelling at you. Sometimes, some colleagues prefer not to go to the bathroom for hours so they don't get caught."

Not respecting breaks

The union is demanding a workday of no more than eight and a half hours and a 30-minute break, divided into two fifteen-minute breaks. Workers complain that they must spend the entire day sitting still and that they spend their breaks collecting fares from passengers.

Passengers standing on the road

One of the problems users criticize most is "having to stand, sometimes for up to an hour," explains Ana Maria González, a regular TIB user. "You have two tourists who've been out partying all night, they're crazy, and they cling to you with the stench of alcohol, while you're standing there praying the driver doesn't have to slam on the brakes. You arrive at work feeling nervous. It's not normal," he complains. "The regulations allow it, even on the highway, as long as you don't exceed the vehicle's capacity specifications, but that's not the way to go," asserts driver and union member Joan Rodríguez. "We're playing with fire, and we professionals never tire of saying it," he insists.