Sant Antoni police skip Ibiza awards over stalled talks

Sant Antoni de Portmany, Ibiza: local police officers stay away from Saturday’s island awards ceremony as a dispute over working conditions reaches the Cine Regio. The local Socialist Party (PSIB) says the officers are protesting because talks with the town council have stalled. Its councillors also skip the event in solidarity.

The ceremony honours local police from Ibiza’s five municipalities for their service, including notable interventions and work helping and protecting people. Earlier, children practised road rules at the paseo de ses Fonts, where police and emergency-service vehicles were also on display.

At the ceremony, mayor Marcos Serra stresses the need for security services to work together. He says population growth and tourism create demands that cannot be judged by the number of registered residents alone. Balearic government vice-president Antoni Costa points to efforts to add 700 police officers, more than 80 of them on Ibiza. Island council president Vicent Marí highlights local police work against illegal holiday lets and unauthorised transport.

But the PSIB says the dispute has dragged on for months. It calls on Serra and deputy mayor for security Neus Mateu to resume talks and address the officers’ demands.

Topics: Jobs & labour · Politics

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com