Thousands of holidaymakers currently enjoying their holidays in the eastern Canary Islands this week will be unable to visit the main tourist attractions today (Monday), as the coach strike starts in Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, and Fuerteventura, directly affecting tourist buses.
Transport workers are demanding improvements in work contracts, including a monthly salary increase of approximately 300 euros gross. The relevant parties will meet again tomorrow (Tuesday), with both the transport employers and unions standing firm on their demands.
At present, the sector has established minimum services, which, in the case of school transportation, are set at 100%, ensuring no disruption for schoolchildren.
It has also been agreed that the strike will not affect the transportation of tourists arriving at these island's airports to and from hotels. However, if the strike is not called off tomorrow, the strike will continue on Wednesday and Friday.
Sources within the tourism sector express their respect for the strike but call on all parties to make every effort to reach an agreement and avoid harming the primary job-generating industry in the Canary Islands, which is tourism.
From the employers' side, it is clear that the union's demands are unsustainable given the rising costs associated with operating tourist buses.