"We will not go down to the beach": Palma lifeguards plant the City Council and threaten strike

PalmaThe Unión Socorristas Mallorca union reported this Thursday the lack of equipment and deficiencies in the infrastructure of Palma's rescue service, which they attribute to the "neglect and excuses" of the City Council. The protests have been made visible with a rally in Plaça de Cort and an intervention during the municipal plenary session.

The lifeguards have warned that, if immediate improvements are not made, they will go on strike on June 23 and 24. "We will not go down to the beach, even if minimum services are imposed, because safety is not being taken seriously," they stated in a message disseminated on social media.

During their intervention in the plenary session, the union called for "public and safe" beaches and a "dignified" service for users. One of the representatives cited the situation at Cala Estància as an example, which he described as a "symbol of abandonment and incompetence" due to the lack of a first-aid station and an accessible bathroom.

They also reported that the Ciutat Jardí lifeguard station is at risk of collapse and is, as they explained, the only available space for storing material. Added to this, they stated, is the lack of buoys and operational public toilets in the area.

"Do you believe that a five-kilometer beach, with 120 hotels in operation and thousands of users every day, does not deserve public toilets? Or is it that the tourist has a hotel nearby and the citizen only matters when they vote?", criticized the union representative during the plenary session.

The union maintains the strike call for June 23 and 24 and leaves its possible cancellation in the hands of the mayor of Palma, Jaime Martínez, and the competent councilor, Llorenç Bauzá. "They are responsible for managing the city and have decided to look the other way while residents continue to be unprotected," they concluded.