In Brief

The CCOO union has called two days of strikes in the Balearic health sector partly in protest against proposed cuts in the health budget. The strikes will take place on 8th April and 6th May but patients should not be affected as minimum services will be provided.

Online medical appointments

An IB-Salut web site has been set up through which patients in the Balearics can arrange medical appointments, change their details or apply for a health card, amongst other services.

Beaches cleaned ready for Easter tourists

The island's beach-cleaning service has been in action over the last few weeks, removing posidonia from the beaches at Santandria, Cala Blanca and Cala en Blanes in Ciutadella and Cala Tirant in Es Mercadal. Beaches are being dealt with in order of priority and this year should be ready for the island's first visitors over the Easter holidays.

Spring officially starts this Friday

This Friday sees the official start of spring, at 18.23 hrs., hopefully bringing to an end a winter described by experts as "hard". From today the weather is expected to stabilise and become more spring-like.

Local jewellery factory to lay off half its staff

The island's largest costume jewellery manufacturer, Juan Valera S.A., has presented a labour adjustment plan which would leave 31 of its 60 employees without a job. The move comes only six months after an agreement between the company and unions to take measures to avoid job losses, but a 70% drop in orders means there is now only sufficient work for half the staff.

Another reason for the firm's decline is the rising cost of precious metals, such as silver which is used in 80% of the items produced in the Ciutadella factory, which has added to the cost of the finished products. The economic crisis means that many customers are now turning to cheaper items.

GESA customers face paying a surcharge

Speaking in the Balearic Parliament last week, Simón Gornés warned that some 30,000 GESA customers in Menorca face a surcharge of 30 euros per month on their electricity bills as a result of the Balearic Government's lack of co-ordination and foresight resulting in a shortage of ICP's.

The power control switches, which limit electrical consumption to the power contracted by the customer, should have been installed by the end of last year but supply problems have resulted in many households still not having the unit.

Gornés asked the Regional Minister of Commerce, Industry and Energy, Francesca Vives, to promote an information campaign as well as the possibility of renting the units for 6 centimos per month instead of purchasing them for 100 euros.