Mallorca general strike over housing sparks pay row
Mallorca’s housing crisis has prompted a call for a general strike — and a row over pay. On 8 October, the Mallorca Federation of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (Pimem) criticised unions CCOO and UGT for linking the walkout to demands for higher wages. Pimem president Jordi Mora warned that mixing the two issues could have serious consequences for businesses.
Why the unions want higher pay
The unions say wages must keep up with the cost of living, particularly the growing cost of housing. They have tied those demands to their proposals for collective bargaining. Mora says they want the strike to go beyond a response to a recent parliamentary setback for housing measures.
Pimem had already opposed the strike, arguing that it lacked a workplace basis. It says pay and housing need to be dealt with separately.
Pimem points to workers’ tax bills
The business group points to a report on Spain’s personal income tax, known as IRPF. It says tax thresholds have not been updated, leaving workers with less of each pay rise and widening the gap between what firms spend and what employees take home.
In calculations presented by Pimec and Pimem on 17 September, gross pay for the groups studied rose by 22.1 per cent, matching inflation between 2020 and 2025. Yet their take-home purchasing power fell by between 2.8 and 4 per cent.
Aproviba, Pimem’s property developers’ association, says it respects the unions’ decision. Its president, Joaquín Chinchilla, argues that firm, coordinated action by public authorities and private businesses could have prevented the dispute reaching a strike call.
Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com