Whats up Doc?
On Monday representatives from the Medical Union within the Balearics announced five days of strikes throughout March, after agreement could not be reached with their bosses. The strike will affect all health workers within the public sector and start on 3rd March. The action will continue on 4th, 12th, 13th and 25th of March, although the last two days will be exclusively for specific sectors of the health department. The strikes were announced after an agreement could not be reached with the company in charge of the health department on the island, Ib-Salut. The main sticking points are over the hourly rate paid to on-duty doctors, currently below 19, a figure which needs to rise, according to the vice-president of the Medical Union here on the island, Nacho Fernandez, to around 30 to fall into line with other areas. The other main hurdle concerned is the bonus paid to staff who come to work on the island. The Union is asking for 700 a month extra for doctors in Ibiza and Minorca, which they say is needed to attract the best personnel to the islands.
Fernandez also announced medical staff would not continue to work voluntarily during the afternoons. They had been doing so for the last few weeks to try and reduce the ever-increasing waiting list on the island. This will no longer be the case, as they try to build further pressure for their pay demands to be accepted.
For his part the managing director of Ib-Salut , Josep Pomar, claimed an offer had been made to the Union, which he urged them to consider. He said that the five page document, which was handed to representatives on Monday, addressed all of the issues and explained the major problems would be dealt with in two differing time frames, with some being solved immediately, while the others would be dealt with over the coming weeks.
However, Fernandez claimed the document was merely a smokescreen which had no meaningful content. He said the time for talking was over, and action was now needed. He added that Ib-Salut now had just over one week to come up with some concrete proposals. For the moment it is not known how the strike will work, and what minimum service will be on offer. It is estimated the strike will affect more than 4,000 public sector workers in the Balearics, and a total of 300 in Ibiza.
The Health Minister at the Consell Insular, Vicenc Tomas, speaking on Wednesday, said he remained confident an agreement could be reached, saying the only people who were likely to suffer from a strike would be the general public.

AROUND THE ISLAND

Strike Continues
Around 120 court cases have had to be suspended as the strike organised by civil servants working in the justice system nears its 4th week. A total of around 90 per cent of the workers have remained faithful to the strike, which is set to continue indefinitely.
The dispute began after civil servants demanded an increase of just under 400 a month, a figure which they say would bring their wages into line with other workers in the public sector. However, their demands have not been met and as the strike enters its 4th week, the situation at the Law Courts is deteriorating by the day.
There are around 10 per cent of civil servants who have ignored the strike and continue to work. This has at least ensured all of the penal cases in which a defendant is being held in prison, have been heard. However the majority of minor cases, including divorce hearings and eviction orders, have had to be suspended and most will now be delayed for months. An insider claimed the backlog is set to last for at least one year, and as always seems the case, it is the public who are being made to suffer due to the strike action.
A sentiment which was highlighted by a decision on Thursday from the strikers to stop traffic in front of the Law Courts in Avenida Isidor Macabich for a total of 15 minutes a day.

New Water Prices
Last week the Govern Balear announced new measures which will mean cheaper water for those who use less. The Environment Minister, Miquel Grimalt, explained that at the moment there were some municipals which operated a similar system (Ibiza Town, Santa Eulalia and San Jose) but that he would ensure the new steps were in operation across the Balearics by 2010.
He added it was unfair that residents who took showers instead of baths, had water saving devices installed, did not have swimming pools or elaborate gardens were forced to pay the same as residents who did.
The new measures will work on four different price brackets those who use less than 10 cubic metres of water per month, those who use between 10-25, between 25-40 and those who use over 40 cubic metres. It is hoped these measures will encourage islanders to be a lot more responsible when using water.
The campaign was launched on the same day the Councillor for the Environment at the Town Hall of Ibiza, Joan Rubio, announced a 2.1 per cent decrease in water consumption per resident. The average consumption fell during 2007 to 84.7 cubic metres per person.

Permanent Action
On Thursday the various Taxi Associations on the island announced they would be calling an indefinite strike from 29th February if their demands were not met over the next few days. The dispute centres on the decision by the Transport Minister, Albert Prats, which will ensure half of the temporary licences granted for this summer be offered to drivers.
The licence owners also confirmed they would be demanding the resignation of Prats for the way he has dealt with the situation. They added they would not deal with the minister any further, instead negotiating directly with the president, Xico Tarres.
The Town Hall of Ibiza also announced last week they would be modifying the minimum services expected during the strike action. Until now the licence owners have been forced to keep a minimum of 50 per cent of their vehicles on the road. However, the new regulation will reduce this down to around 15 per cent and mean there will be just thirteen taxis available when the next strike action is called.

Ibiza Cruising
The cruise company, Royal Caribbean, is to include Ibiza as part of its new programme of short-haul cruises. The company will offer four and five day cruises to a select number of European ports, including Marseille, Nice, Florence, Dubrovnik, Sicily, Barcelona and Ibiza. Their programme is due to start this April with the first cruise due to arrive in the port of Ibiza later that month.
The news came on the day the Port Authorities announced a 4 per cent increase in passengers during 2007. During the previous twelve months a total of 2,200,619 travellers used the port, 1,186,655 of whom were on their way to Formentera.

ATM Scam
Police issued a warning to the public last week to be on their guard against a scam not seen on the island during the last five years. The Lebanese Lasso involves the criminal installing a special device which swallows the credit card when used by a member of the public. The criminal then appears at the ATM to assist, telling the client that if he types in his PIN number into the machine, the card should appear. He then memorises the number as the client enters it. The card does not appear and the client leaves, believing it has been swallowed by the machine. The criminal then uses the device to re-coup the card and draw out cash using the PIN number.
It was a crime which became popular during early 2000, and has since made a comeback on the island. People were being warned not to divulge their secret number to anyone, even if they believe their card has been chewed up by the cash-point.

Pollen Count
Hayfever sufferers on the island were facing several more weeks of coughing and sneezing this year, as the levels of pollen reached record highs. Normally, those afflicted by the allergy are not affected on the island until late March, early April. However, the unusually high temperatures, the lack of rain and the light winter breeze has meant an unusually high pollen count for this time of year.
The number of sufferers on the island, currently estimated at one in every 5th person, is set to double over the next ten years, according to leading experts at the Balearic University. They claim the increase can be put down to the increasingly sterile environment in which the population now lives, free of bugs and bacteria. They added that the average resident within the Islands, similarly to the rest of Europe, are prone to fewer infections and encounter less dirt, meaning the immune system does not get a chance to mature. Instead they develop an excessive response to pollen, which is mistakenly identified as a foreign invader.

Road to Recovery
There was renewed hope in the town of Whitburn, Sunderland, last week as the youngster knocked down as she got out of an unlicensed taxi outside Amnesia, showed signs of making a recovery. Mellisa Sanders was hit by a car as she got out of the pirate taxi in September of last year. She was immediately rushed to hospital where she slipped into a coma, in which she has remained ever since. She was subsequently flown back to Walkergate Park Hospital, close to her home in Sunderland. Her mother gave up work to be at her bedside, a sacrifice which was rewarded last week as she received a kiss from her daughter, who has shown the clearest signs yet that she is going to make a full recovery.
Friends of the 18 year old girl produced a CD to raise funds for the family of the popular teenager, efforts which have so far managed to amass 20,000.
Although the investigation remains open, police have so far made no arrests in the case, as there were few witnesses and both cars involved in the incident fled the car park immediately.

Road Safety
The former president of the Consell Insular, Pere Palau, claimed the reduction in deaths on the island´s roads backed up their decision to build the highly controversial road network during their previous administration. The motorways were built by Palau´s PP-run Consell to improve road safety. In 2005 there were a total of 26 deaths on the road, an island record. This was reduced to 14 in 2006 when the roads were first opened. Last year this was further reduced to just 13 fatalities. He claimed the roads were now far safer and, despite the criticism that the dual-carriageways would cause more fatal accidents, there has yet to be any deaths on the new roads for the first time since 2001.
In fact, the Ibiza-San Antonio road was the only one which significantly reduced its accident rate in comparison to last year.
However, he did admit mistakes were made during the evictions and forced land-buyouts, claiming it had not been a model to follow. He said errors were made, but his party were only human and were liable to blunders.

IBIZA TOWN

Heritage Funding
The Consell agreed on Friday to pay 7 million over the next four years towards the World Heritage Fund, which will be invested in various sites within the capital, which was declared a World Heritage Site back in 1999. The money will be added to equal amounts given by the Town Hall of Ibiza, and the Spanish Central Government. A total of 21 million will therefore be available to the organisation in charge of the site. It will be spent on areas in sa Penya, La Marina, Vara de Rey and la Plaza del Parque. Several properties of special interest will also be purchased.
The Consell will fund the investment via an 18 year loan which will end up costing the institution 11 million.
For the first time in years, the opposing PP party backed the proposals from the start and voted for the funding. They claimed that as long as the money continued to be spent on World Heritage issues they would continue to support the moves.

Narbona Promises
Minister for the Environment, Cristina Narbona, claimed on her visit to the island that her department was still ready to buy the land known as ses Feixes, close to the entrance to Ibiza Town. The area has been a hot topic of debate over the last few months since the decision by the new Govern Balear to temporarily suspend any building in the area. This caused a great deal of protests from land owners, who claimed they would challenge the decision in court.
The area is divided into three sections at the moment, two of which are classified as rustico (non-buildable) and the centre piece which is urbano (building permitted). However, Narbona claimed her administration would only contemplate buying the land if it was all classified as rustico. This would mean a very much more reduced price, confirming her Government just did not have the budget to buy any land classified urbano. She said the decision would ultimately be with the Consell Insular, and if they decided to downgrade the land, the option of buying would be a possibility.
Narbona also claimed on her visit that the Central Government wanted to build a promenade in ses Figueretes. She said that the recent decision not to go ahead with the Matutes backed marina in es Viver, had meant the possibility of a promenade was now viable. She thanked the president of the Consell, Xico Tarres, for his decision to deny the marina-project permission, saying the citizens of Ibiza had a lot to thank the new president for.

Minister Claims
The Environment Minister at the Central Government, Cristina Narbona, stepped into the row over the Ibiza Town water purifier last week, after declaring her administration had been offered a piece of land in Santa Eulalia. Her declarations were made while visiting the island to oversee a number of projects her Government are currently undertaking. When questioned about the location of the purifier, she said it was not her department´s job to find the location. They would take over once a suitable plot of land had been found, something which, according to Narbona, is the case concerning the Ibiza Town purifier. She said her department had been contacted and a suitable location had been agreed.
The 20 million to be spent on the Ibiza Town purifier, is part of a total investment of 167 million the Government is due to spend on water projects within the Balearics over the next five years.
Her statement was greeted with caution by the president of the Consell Insular, Xico Tarres. He said he understood the attitude of the mayor of Santa Eulalia, Vicent Mari, who promised citizens they would not be locating the purifier within municipal lines. However, Tarres claimed solutions needed to be found and that nobody wanted a water purifier, with its noise and smell, within their municipality. He said there was no suitable area within Ibiza. However, he claimed nothing had yet been decided and there were still three or four options being considered. He added that until the final decision had been made, he would not be making any further comment to avoid causing any misunderstandings or alarm for neighbours in any likely locations.
Residents living close to Ca na Negreta have reacted angrily to proposals the purifier will be located in the area. They claim the zone is not a suitable location, and have promised to fight to avoid it being built. However, the minister in charge of the project, Miquel Ramon, said the residents had nothing to fear and that the 20 million investment would ensure a new breed of water purifier with reduced noise pollution and smell.
However he explained that plan B remained locating the purifier next to the old one in between Jesus and Vuit d´Agost, on the border of the municipality. Although this option was initially ruled out by the Consell, Ramon confirmed it was still an option and had not been completely discounted.

SAN ANTONIO

Closer to Home
The four portakabins, which are to house students in San Antonio whilst work is carried out on the primary school in Vara de Rey, are to be located in ses Variades, it was announced last week. A statement the previous week had suggested the pre-fab buildings could be placed in land close to ses Paises. However this initial idea has been scrapped after complaints from parents living in the centre of town. The location in ses Paises would have meant a car journey of approximately two kilometres for a lot of parents.
The current institution in Vara de Rey, close to the Fishermans Bar, is due for a refit which will affect three different age groups, from 3-5 years of age. However, these children will now be taught in portakabins just yards away from the current location of the school, close to the fruit & veg market at the back of town. In total around 75 children will be affected by the work, which it is hoped will take under two years to complete. The portakabins will be fitted with heating and air-conditioning facilities, as well as a patio area with swings.

Brit Found
It was revealed last week that Dutch police have arrested the Britain involved in the shoot-out in San Antonio in August 2006. Kevin R. was the passenger in the BMW X5 which was hit by nine bullets in the attack between two rival gangs over drug territories within the town. Spanish authorities will now prepare extradition orders for the accused, which should be accepted as long as he does not face any criminal charges in Holland. Kevin R, along with the driver Keith D, were both bailed after the attack, but did not show up to a later hearing into the incident. They were subsequently put on the wanted list, with authorities across Europe warned to be on the look out for both men.

SAN JOSE

Social Housing
The Councillor in charge of the new municipal plans in San Jose, Josep Antoni Prats, has promised a total of six social housing projects will be begun this year. In the run up to the election the mayor, Josep Mari Ribas, promised voters if elected he would build a minimum of 200 apartments, ensuring affordable housing for those who have until now been unable to afford it. The plans also include a guarantee that 10 per cent of new housing projects will be socially based.
The six proposals will be located in San Jordi and Cala de Bou, with the biggest in calle Can Mariano Palerm in San Jordi, where a total of 18 properties will be built.

SANTA EULALIA

New Colours
Santa Eulalia became the first municipal to receive a police vehicle in the new colours, after the arrival of a state-of-the-art 4x4 last week. The colour of police vehicles was changed by the previous Govern Balear to coincide with the Balearic flag. The red and blue vehicles were also said to be more easily recognisable by citizens, and one presumes, criminals!
However, the new Govern, after an exhaustive study, has decided to change the colour of the new vehicles back to the traditional blue and white. They claimed a European-wide study showed the colours were more commonly associated with the police force across most of the Continent. They would also cost the Govern around 6,000 less, due to the simple design. The renovation of police vehicles is set to continue over the next three years, with each municipal free to buy the vehicles they believe necessary.
The modernisation of equipment will include helmets, bullet proof vests and oxygen tanks. The computer systems will also be updated, which will allow denuncias to be made via the web.

CRIME & INCIDENTS

Seriously Injured
A local Spanish man had to be rushed to Can Misses on Saturday afternoon after being struck by a barman with a glass bottle in the popular, Apache bar, in es Canar. The incident occurred, according to witnesses, after a discussion had ensued about football, although others claimed the man, known for his drinking problems in the area, had been annoying clients in the British-owned bar. Suddenly, the 39 year old waiter saw that the man was about to throw something at him and raised the bottle in defence, hitting the victim. However the glass bottle broke as it impacted against the neck of the victim, causing horrific injuries. The emergency services were immediately called, as the injured man began to bleed profusely from the facial and neck area. He was rushed to Can Misses where doctors in A&E tried to stop the bleeding.
Police were dispatched to the bar where the barman was waiting for them, visibly affected by what had gone on. He was taken into custody and a statement was taken.

Four Year Term
An Italian man accepted a four year prison sentence on Friday, after being caught with 2,000 ecstasy tablets on the San Jose road this summer. The defendant claimed he merely acted as a runner and was not actually selling the drug. However, he added that he was forced to act as a courier due to his drug addiction problems. These were taken into account during sentencing, as in addition the man was ordered to attend a drug rehabilitation course.

Jail Sentence
A local man currently living in San Jordi faces several years in prison after being accused of attempted murder. The 30 year old man is suspected of trying to stab his ex-girlfriend, and when that failed, strangling her with the cord from a curtain. The attack began after the man told the woman, as she was taking an afternoon siesta, that he wanted to see her blood spilled on the bed sheets. He then went to another room, grabbed a knife and tried to stab the shocked victim. After she managed to escape, he then tried to strangle her with a curtain cord. She again successfully survived the savage attack, this time making her way to the entrance of the building where she was rescued by a pedestrian, who called the police.
The judge hearing the case said he needed all the forensic evidence before he could come to a decision, although the doctors report backed up the evidence initially given by the woman. The case continues.

Footballer Dies
A 30 year old Spanish man died on Wednesday night whilst playing football with friends at the San Rafael football stadium. Emergency services were immediately called after the sportsman collapsed, but there was nothing they could do and he was pronounced dead at the scene shortly afterwards. Heart failure was the suspected cause, although there was as yet no official word.

NEWS FROM THE MAINLAND

Castro Resigns
The search for a new leader in Cuba began in earnest last week, as Fidel Castro announced he would not be seeking another term as president. It seemed this had opened the way for his brother, Raúl Castro, or another member of his inner circle, to become Cuba's head of state when Parliament chooses a new leader soon. However, the calls for free and fair elections for the first time in over 50 years came from all corners of the globe, with hopes the United States would lift its 50 year embargo on the country a real possibility, if an independent leader could eventually be appointed.
The announcement by the controversial Castro, who first took power in 1959, was made in a letter to the nation under his name, which was read on radio and television programs. In the letter, Castro said his failing health made it impossible for him to return to the presidency.
Under the Cuban constitution, a newly chosen Parliament will select a 31-member Council of State on Sunday, which in turn will choose the next president. Though Cuban officials say the process is democratic, experts on Cuban politics say the choosing of a successor remains in the hands of Fidel Castro, his brother, and his inner circle, many of whom hold positions in the cabinet.
In late July 2006, Castro, who is now 81, temporarily handed over power to his brother, Raúl Castro, 76, and to a few younger cabinet ministers, after he underwent emergency abdominal surgery. Despite numerous operations, he has never fully recovered, although he has remained active in running government affairs from behind the scenes.
However, the US remained cautious over the announcement. Their attitude towards their close neighbour has remained the same throughout a total of nine administrations. They have openly wished for Castro's demise and the end of his rule for years. However U.S. officials were quick to point out on Tuesday that the Cuban president's decision to step down on his own terms leaves little hope for real democratic transition in communist Cuba during President George W. Bush's final year in office, although it may open options for Bush's successor in the White House.
A spokesman for British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, said that the resignation opened the way for a peaceful transition to a pluralist democracy.
In 1956 Fidel led about 80 guerrillas in an armed revolution that overthrew Fulgencio Batista, the president at that time. Fidel became the Prime Minister and First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, and rose to presidency in 1959. He had at last succeeded in transforming Cuba into a one-party socialist republic.
During his 50 year reign he has seen off nine US presidents and survived 638 assassinations attempts.

Rajoy Visit
The opposition leader, Mariano Rajoy, made a fleeting visit to the island on Wednesday. In front of 1,000 loyal supporters at the Conference Centre in Ibiza Town, he promised to treat the Islands with the priority they deserved, claiming their location ensured that cheap transport needed to be available to all citizens.
He also made assurances that the water purifier in Ibiza Town would be located where it was originally agreed, saying although the project had been delayed for four years, he would begin it within weeks of taking power.
He also claimed he would ensure fairness in the boundary markings currently taking place in Formentera. There has been confusion in this matter for some years after the Coastal Authority decided to take back private land along the coast belonging to around 60 families. Rajoy also met with the civil servants from the Justice Department, who are currently on strike, promising to fix their situation within 15 days of taking office.
He claimed the current Prime Minister, Jose Luis Zapatero, had done precious little since taking over four years ago. He added he had taken on an economy which was one of the strongest in Europe, and slowly run it into the ground.
Recent polls put Rajoy just one point behind in the forthcoming elections and it promises to go to the wire on 9th March.

Foreign Languages
The president of the Government, Jose Luis Zapatero, has promised 200,000 scholarships to youngsters, which will allow them to study for one month in an English-speaking country to help perfect their use of the language. The most recent electoral promise by the current prime minister aims to ensure children can speak at least one other foreign language by the time they leave school. The scholarships will be available to both students and teachers. In addition, over the next four year administration, Zapatero claimed he wanted at least 15 per cent of classes given in English.

Entry Denied
Two bouncers in the town of Ciudad Real in Castilla la Mancha were seriously injured last week, after being shot for refusing a 26 year old man entry into their club. The dispute occurred last weekend as the two doormen denied the man access because he was wearing trainers. The man, angered, went to his car, pulled out a hunting rifle and shot both men in the abdomen area. They were both rushed to hospital where they remain in a critical condition.

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