This strike would take effect on Thursdays and Sundays, from 0:00 hours to 03:00 hours the following day, and responds to the historical demands that the workers in the sector have been making, such as delays in payments, non-compliance with days off and overtime, and violation of the minimum rest time between service and service.
This fact, in the words of the representative of the Workers' Trade Union (USO), Matías Mulet, is especially serious, since by not respecting the minimum rest of each worker, not only the driver himself is being put in danger, but also the users of the service. "We have known cases in which a worker finishes his shift at two in the morning and at five he is already standing because he has to go back to work again," said Mulet, who noted that the strike could affect more than 250 workers "without counting those who work odd days without a contract and defrauding Social Security".
Complaints before the General Labor Inspectorate
The representative of the Workers' Trade Union explained that many of these irregularities have already been reported to the General Labor Inspectorate, and that they are pending resolution. He also threatened to take the tax fraud allegedly committed by some of the companies in the sector to the Tax Agency Inspectorate, such as avoiding declaring the collection of luggage transport to Social Security or the payment of part of the salaries and overtime "in black money". "We want the Treasury to investigate how companies that pay up to 300 euros off the payroll to their workers balance their accounts," said Mulet.
The workers also assure that during the last months they have tried by all means to solve this conflict internally within the framework of a dialogue table, "although finally everything has been fruitless". In this sense, they recall the celebration of a meeting between the workers and the employers of the sector on July 22, and that it should have continued in a subsequent meeting convened for August 1, in which the employers did not appear. "We still do not understand the reasons for this plant by the employers, who flatly refuse to negotiate," said Mulet, who nevertheless wanted to note that only the company Transtour, of the Tragsa group, is the only one that complies with what was agreed at the negotiating table and in the provincial agreement.
Annoyance to tourists
On the other hand, Matías Mulet, aware of the disruptions that the stoppages could cause to the tourism sector, was willing to call off the strike if a negotiating table is created that is chaired by the Minister of Tourism of the Cabildo, Miguel Ángel Leal, who they hope can be the mediator between the workers and the employers, who until now have not wanted to listen to the demands of the drivers. "If from now until next Thursday, August 18, a dialogue table is created, we would have no problem in postponing the call for the strike," said the representative of USO-Canarias, who also stressed that the workers are sensitive to the damage that could be caused to visitors, and therefore their interest in resolving this situation as soon as possible.
Discretionary transport is responsible for transferring tourists from accommodation to the hotel and the scheduled excursions that visitors make, so the consequences of a strike of this service could be disastrous for the Island, which would see its image damaged to the outside.
It is not the first time that the bus drivers go on strike. In previous years, specifically in 2002, they also made themselves felt by not seeing their working conditions satisfied.
