Menorca towns seek millions for island staff pay

Menorca’s island council and eight town halls are joining forces to seek higher island allowances for civil servants, a move that would add several million euros a year to local budgets. The joint demand was approved at Thursday’s mayors’ meeting after a proposal from Es Mercadal mayor Joan Palliser. Es Mercadal Town Hall announced the decision on Friday.

The allowance, known in Spanish as the plus de insularidad, is intended to recognise the extra costs of living and working on an island. Palliser said higher supplements or compensation payments would create a permanent annual increase of several million euros for Menorca’s local administrations.

Es Mercadal argues that the State should provide funding for town halls and the island council if it already recognises and compensates those extra costs for its own staff. The institutions affected agreed to submit one joint application.

Training and police payments also raised

Es Mercadal also called for better training options leading to qualifications for leisure and free-time monitors and lifeguards. Companies in those sectors are struggling to hire qualified staff.

The town hall further pressed for improvements to the agreement under which municipalities reinforce police numbers for patron-saint festivities. It wants the paperwork to move faster so payments can be made within the current year.

Topics: Police · Sea rescue · Politics

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com