Taxi Strike Nears End
The taxi strike which began on 29th February slowly started to disband across the island last week, as the Taxi Associations of Santa Eulalia and San Juan announced on Tuesday that they were returning to work with immediate effect.
The strike was originally called after the Transport Minister, Albert Prats, passed legislation which would lead to the authorisation of 136 temporary taxi licences for two months during the busiest time of the season. However, he then announced that both current licence owners and drivers would be able to bid for the permits, which the current owners disagreed with. A series of meetings failed to arrive at any solution and after several one-day strikes, permanent action was eventually called.
However, the strike has never been universally supported by the different associations across the island, with many claiming they had been bullied into the extreme measures. Now, both the associations of Santa Eulalia and San Juan have broken ranks, after an agreement was reached with both Town Halls, which promised they would not authorise the Consell permits.
Prats was said to be dismayed by the decision of the Town Halls but hoped the other municipalities could together absorb the 136 new licences. He immediately received backing from the mayor of Ibiza Town, Lurdes Costa, who said she would accept more licences in an attempt to end the annual problems during July, August and September.
The taxi association in the capital agreed on Wednesday, by unanimous decision, to reject the temporary permits once they were granted, and continue with the strike. Their president, Jose Serafin, said the majority of his members had decided to decline the temporary licences if they were awarded them. They were joined by the association in San Antonio, who after several meetings with the Town Hall on Wednesday, decided to continue with the strike action.
Support from the mainland, however, appeared to be on the wane as the National Taxi Association revealed they would not be calling a one-day strike across the country. Instead their president, Jose Artemio Ardura, revealed he was asking members to carry a bumper sticker which showed their support for the drivers of Ibiza.
The issue of taxi licences has been a controversial topic for years, with authorities trying to balance the demands of the owners with that of increasing public demand. The price of a permanent year-long licence is estimated to be worth 250,000, with many being sold on when the licence holder reaches retirement age. This practice is, in reality, illegal and only the sons of the owner can inherit the licence. However, one driver revealed there were ways of transferring a permit which had become common practice.
Despite a clear lack of support, the Associations of Ibiza Town, San Antonio and San Jose continued with their strike during the week, although it appears it cannot last much longer as the protesters realise the Consell is not going to budge. A final decision will be made today, 26th March, at a general meeting of the three municipalities still on strike, where it is hoped they will suspend the action, for the time being at least.

AROUND THE ISLAND

Court Strike Continues
As the civil servants strike at the Law Courts of Ibiza continued into its 7th week, workers said they would proceed until a solution could be found. The news came in the same week it was revealed that the courts on the island managed to reduce the number of cases pending for the first time in years. At the start of the year there were a total of 6,819 cases pending. This was reduced to 6,517, which was described as a normal amount by officials. However, the strike will have a severe affect on this statistic during 2008, and it is expected to rise substantially.
A spokesman at the Court House said certain cases could now take up to 18 months to be resolved due to the backlog. This could be eased by staff carrying out extra hours, an option favoured by the strikers who desperately need to recoup some of the wages lost while carrying out the strike action.

Treatment Exodus
A total of 6,000 residents travelled to Palma and the mainland during 2007 to receive medical treatment not available on the island, according to statistics by the Local Health Authority, Ib-Salut. A total of 5,052 patients were sent to Son Dureta hospital just outside Palma, the majority for special consultancy appointments, although 760 people did require hospital treatment, with this number staying in hospital for a total of 6,904 nights. A total of 918 patients were sent to the mainland to receive treatment.
These trips were made necessary due to a lack of certain services within Ibiza. There still remains no treatment for infant cancer, radiotherapy and the care of premature babies, amongst other things. Burns sufferers also need to be sent to the mainland (Valencia) for specialist treatment.
These 5,960 patients were accompanied by 4,660 family members or friends taking the total number of travellers to well over 10,000. This large number led to the Partido Popular suggesting a special annex at the Son Espases hospital (Majorca) be built to deal exclusively with patients from Ibiza, Formentera and Minorca. The proposal was eventually rejected by the ruling PSOE-party for being too costly.
However, the fact that so many residents do have to leave the island to receive vital medical attention has forced the Govern into rethinking their plans for the new hospital to be built next door to Can Misses. The president of the Govern Balear, Francesc Antich, promised during the election campaign that he would ensure radiotherapy was available in the new hospital, the building of which is to begin this year. These moves alone would save over 500 patients having to leave the island for treatment each year.

Record Numbers
A total of 5,543 planes landed at the airport during 15th-24th March, bringing with them a total of 83,520 passengers. Although Easter came early this year, the large number of sporting events which took place on the island, including the David Booth basketball tournament and the Ibiza Cup (football), ensured a massive amount of visitors. However, this paled into insignificance in comparison to the 632,623 travellers who visited Majorca during the same week.
In Ibiza, a total of 45 hotels and apartment complexes opened their doors this Easter, in addition to the 12 already open for business. Although hotel occupancy over the weekend was similar to last year, (around 75 per cent), stays were much shorter, with many establishments choosing to close again once the tourists had left. The president of the Hotel Federation, Roberto Hortensius, said the early arrival of the holidays this year had severely affected the number of visitors to the island. He added that the fact there was still snow in some winter ski resorts had meant many frequent visitors to the island during Easter had chosen to go skiing instead.
Ibiza Town had the most number of hotels - 25, open over the Easter break. This was followed by the bay of San Antonio with 13 and San Antonio with 12.
Visitors to the island were met at the airport by students from the School of Tourism in Ibiza, who explained to the new arrivals which bus they needed to take, depending on which resort they wanted to go. The Consell substantially increased the number of services to try and reduce the impact of the taxi strike, which maintained its minimum service with just 9 cars servicing the airport.

Rubbish Fears
The recent recycling campaigns carried out on the island appear to have failed. if the stats for 2007 are anything to go by. During last year just 5 per cent of all rubbish collected was recyclable, a damning statistic which the authorities must rectify. In total, 159,148 tonnes of rubbish was collected in both Ibiza and Formentera, 10,000 more than in 2006. Of this total just 8,683 was recyclable, a miserly total of just 5.17 per cent.
The increase over the last few years has meant the rubbish tip at Ca na Putxa has continued to grow. In 2007 a total of 108,890 tonnes of domestic rubbish was taken to the site, 64.88 per cent of the total. This is followed by inert waste (21,903 tonnes) and algae collected from the beaches across the island (13,692 tonnes).
The most surprising statistic however is the fact that the most populated municipal does not actually produce the most rubbish. Despite having a considerable number of inhabitants less than the 50,000 that reside in Ibiza Town, Santa Eulalia actually produces more domestic non-recyclable rubbish (26,086 tonnes). This was put down to the fact that much more material was being recycled in the capital thanks to constant campaigns by the Town Hall. However, the facts are startling, and campaigners called for immediate action to be taken to avoid an environmental disaster.

Economic Woes
An increase in the number of visitors to the island last year, especially in the final trimester, helped to compensate a dramatic fall in the construction sector. The head of the Institute for Economic Affairs in the Balearics (CRE), Antoni Riera, said the deceleration of the economy affected all of the islands, but most notably, Ibiza. He said the sudden reduction in state-funded building, including the roads, had severely affected the island. This decrease, added to the reduction in the number of residential properties being built, ensured economic growth slowed rapidly during the course of the year. The last three months saw a fall in the number of new properties registered of 28.2 per cent. This sharp decrease meant a decline for the year as a whole of 5.1 per cent.
However, the positive news came in the shape of an increase in tourism throughout the year, a rise accentuated in the last trimester. In comparison to 2006, the last three months of the year saw an increase of 16.8 per cent in the number of visitors to the island. This increase, along with a tourism sector which responded well over the course of the year, ensured the decrease in construction did not overly affect the economy. During the last trimester of 2007, the economy on the island grew just 2.4 per cent, just below the Balearic average of 2.6 per cent. Worryingly, however, unemployment did rise sharply, again due to the decrease in the construction sector.
Riera continued that the dependency on tourism would continue throughout the year. However, he claimed that all the indicators suggested 2008 would be a good year, although he did add that the economy was becoming less dynamic and would continue to fall during 2008.

Drink Driving
A total of 15 people were arrested last weekend for drink-driving offences, as the police continued their crackdown. The arrests were made right across the island, as the authorities made it clear the lax attitude to driving while under the influence during the last few years was not going to continue.
The arrests came on the back of news that the police had incorporated a new van into their fleet which will be sent to the scenes of accidents, and be used as a makeshift office to take witness statements and practice breath-tests.

Water Use
A recent study by the environmental group, Duna Balears, has estimated there are around 10,000-12,000 swimming pools on the island. This, according to their spokesman, Bartolo Planas, means an extraordinary amount of water is used every year solely on refilling these pools. He reckons around 40 per cent of the total number of pools are emptied every year and then refilled, meaning at least 200,000 tonnes of water being used.
The number of pools is only a rough estimate however, and Planas admitted they were only sure of the number in San Jose, where overhead photography had revealed 4,000 swimming pools within the municipality. This huge number led to the minister for Town Planning, Josep Antoni Prats, claiming that his administration had not ruled out special regulation in the future, to control the use of water used for swimming pools.

Blood Donations
Parents will be able to donate blood from the umbilical cord at Can Misses, from October of this year, it was announced last week. Ib-Salut, the local health authority, asked for permission to be given for the life changing procedure last year, permission which has now been granted.
The blood in the umbilical cord is unique because it contains large amounts of stem cells. These cells are currently being researched for their potential in treating patients with life-threatening diseases, as well as for their current uses. A major difference between cord blood and bone marrow transplants lies in the fact that although some patients have a family member who can donate blood stem cells, it is generally believed that roughly 75% of patients will not find a matching donor in their family. Cord blood donations can give more patients hope of finding a match.
Specialists from Barcelona will, in the meantime, visit the island to train up staff in the procedure. There is approximately a 15 minute window after a baby is born to collect these cells; immediately after the umbilical cord is clamped and cut.

Drummer Dies
The drummer of Swedish pop group Abba was found dead on Sunday at his house in Majorca, after a freak domestic accident. Ola Brunkert, 61, is believed to have fallen through a glass door in his kitchen wounding his neck on a shard of glass. He desperately tried to cover the cut with a towel and attempted to seek help, eventually collapsing in his garden where he was found by a neighbour. The tragic incident occurred in the stars villa in Arta, on the northeast coast of the island. Although nothing has yet been ruled out by investigators, an autopsy confirmed an accident had been the most likely cause of death.
According to ABBA's official Web site, Brunkert and bass player Rutger Gunnarsson were the only musicians to appear on all ABBA albums. He first played with ABBA on the group's debut single, "People Need Love," and toured with the band in 1977, 1979 and 1980. ABBA was one of the world's most successful bands, with album sales of more than 370 million. Although the group has not performed together since 1982, they continue to sell nearly 3 million records a year.
Brunkert was said to be a popular member of the community in his beloved Majorcan town, where he had lived for the past 20 years. However, he had recently been consumed by alcohol, especially since the death of his wife, Ingar, last year.

IBIZA TOWN

Positive Response
The minister for Tourism at the Consell Insular, Pepa Mari, claimed the response towards Ibiza she had received at the Miami Sea Trade Cruise Fair had been very positive. She claimed that many good contacts had been made, and a considerable number of companies had shown an interest in including the port of Ibiza as part of their schedule. However, she said that the same problem continued to arise - a lack of facilities and assurances of mooring space. Mari explained that most of the cruise packages were put together at least 18 months in advance, which made it difficult to include Ibiza, as space could not be guaranteed. For this reason she claimed the new reforms to the port were vital, and needed to be carried out as soon as possible.
Ibizas presence at the fair cost a total of 15,000, an amount which was shared between the Tourist Foundation (7,000), the Chamber of Commerce (5,000) and the Town Hall of Ibiza (3,000).

New Offices Open
The president of the Consell Insular, Xico Tarres, together with the opposition leader, Pere Palau, officially opened the new tourism office in Ibiza Town on Wednesday. The cultural and information centre is situated in Vara de Rey. It is a total of 550 m2 in size and contains all of the latest technology available, including sixteen 42 plasma screens which will show five video clips of the island, specifically recorded by the Consell, to try and boost interest in diverse activities across the island, as well as answer any questions visitors to Ibiza may have. When the office is closed, tourists will be able to access information via special touch-face screens, which will offer a wide selection of information about the island, via the Consells website www.ibiza.travel.
The office is made up of several moveable panels which enable the room to be separated off into five different spaces, for use in exhibitions, conferences etc. The work cost a total of 522,000, and began back in August 2006, with the building being donated to the Consell by CAM bank.

SAN ANTONIO

Open Mind
The minister for Town Planning at the Consell Insular, Miquel Ramon, maintained last week he was keen to negotiate with the Town Hall of San Antonio over the land classification of ses Variades. The area close to sunset strip has been in the news over the last few months after plans emerged, signed by the Town Hall, which could lead to an urbanisation for over 1,500 people.
The scheme by the developers, Realia, formed in 2000, thanks to the integration of two companies, FCC and Caja Madrid, hopes to build on over 100,000 m2 of land. The plans include several five-story blocks with over 450 apartments. Although the project will leave over 35 per cent of the area green, the scheme has been criticised from all sides, and faces difficulties in finally being approved.
The land is classified as buildable (urbano) at the moment, but there are possibilities it will soon be changed to rustico, which will ensure the venture does not go ahead.
Ramon said the idea was still very much open to debate, and nothing had yet been ruled out. However, he did stress the project would only be approved if it was severely reduced in size.
The proposals already have the backing of the mayor, Jose Sala, although he acknowledged it would be difficult for the project, as it was now, to receive approval.

San An Jetty
The mayor of San Antonio, Jose Sala, has written to the Port Authorities of the Balearics to ask for a jetty to be built in the port. Sala claimed San Antonio was now a mature destination which was attempting to offer diversity across the board. He reminded them that the PP-run Consell last year suggested a number of measures to reignite the marina, one of which was the installation of a wharf to enable large cruise ships to enter the harbour.
Sala has asked for a temporary jetty to be installed for this summer while projects are made for a permanent structure. He said the moves would prove invaluable to the commercial sector within the municipal, and said he was sure the area would prove popular with cruise companies.

SAN JOSE

Residents Complaint
Neighbours in the Cala Conta area have presented an official complaint to the Town Hall of San Jose concerning almost 16,000 square metres of earth which has been dumped in Roques Males. The soil is mixed in with rubble, building blocks and asphalt, which they claim could contaminate the area. Their spokesman, Ricard Marlasca, claimed the Town Hall was doing nothing to protect the area and their new Land Use Plan actually meant more building in the area. The area in question is the proposed site for an urbanisation of 140 semi-detached houses and chalets.
The Town Hall responded to the complaints on Tuesday and said they would be launching an investigation into the matter. The 15,621 square metres of earth translates to around 23,430 tonnes, the equivalent of 800 lorry loads.

FORMENTERA

Consell Criticism
The Consell of Formentera will entrust their counterparts in Ibiza with the running of 16 local departments as they slowly learn the ropes. The new president of the Consell which was formed last year, Jaume Ferrer, said he preferred to take things step by step, and to slowly learn the ins and out of each department, because the residents would be the only ones to suffer. Over half of the 16 departments which will be run from the Consell in Ibiza are social service related. In total the Consell in Formentera will pay 1,485,000 for the out-sourcing.
The decision was met with anger by opposition parties, with the head of the PP, Jaunma Costa, claiming it was a step backwards for the island after 25 years of pleading for the right to their own Consell.

CRIME & INCIDENTS

Fourth Fatality
Tuesday saw the 4th fatality of the year so far, after an accident on the Santa Eulalia-Ibiza road. Antonio Morenate Martinez, 39, became the third road victim in just ten days after he lost control of his vehicle, an Opel Astra, for reasons which are still being investigated. The accident occurred at just after 3p.m. as the driver had just passed Ca na Negreta. Three hundred metres from the Go Kart track, he lost control of his vehicle, which crossed over the road and, after knocking down three road signs, crashed into a stone wall.
The emergency services were immediately called, including the fire service who had to cut the victim out of the vehicle. However, despite all their efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene, with a spokesman claiming it was more than probable that he had died instantly.

Prison for Suspect
The British man arrested in Amsterdam during a routine passport inspection, and wanted in questioning for the shoot-out in San Antonio back in August 2006 which left three people injured, has been sent to prison on the island while he awaits trial. The 24 year old suspect did not appear at the original trial in early 2007, after paying bail of 30,000. K.J.P.M. is suspected of driving the BMW X5 involved in the shoot out between two rival drug gangs in Avenida Doctor Fleming, close to es Paradis nightclub. The car was hit a total of 9 times by the rival gang.

Man Drowns
The body of a Moroccan man was found in the water, 21 nautical miles off San Antonio on Tuesday, after he voluntarily jumped from the Iscomar ferry, Carmen del Mar, during a routine Palma-Valencia crossing. The search began after the captain of the vessel radioed for help at 3p.m. after one of his passengers flung himself into the sea. A life preserver was immediately tossed into the water and several boats were soon on hand to help in the search. However, the body of the man was found floating in the sea, at around 6.40p.m., off the coast of San Antonio. Although an investigation was launched, it is still not known why the man, who was travelling alone, had decided to jump from the vessel.

Flats Evacuated
A strong smell of gas forced the evacuation of a building in es Canar on Friday. A total of 20 apartments were vacated at around 7.30p.m. after neighbours reported a strong smell of gas in the area. Fire crews were soon on the scene, and decided to evacuate the building as a precaution. Officers from the Guardia Civil were sent to the premises because the local police were occupied with the Easter procession which was taking place at the same time. Officers checked all of the apartments for leaks, eventually finding the gas had escaped from the restaurant below.

The Fraudster
A 33 year old Italian man was arrested last week suspected of committing a series of frauds on the island. Marco A. was arrested by officers of the Guardia Civil in connection with selling a boat for 7,000 which did not belong to him. He was arrested whilst driving a stolen Audi Q7, valued at 70,000, which had been reported missing the previous week.
Whilst he was being held overnight, it also came to light he had left a bill at the popular Pacha Hotel of over 12,000. He stayed at the establishment, in their best suite, last September for a total of 10 nights. Whilst there, he ordered extravagantly from room service, even renting a Hummer car for a number of days. On his last day he left a suitcase and credit card at reception, telling staff he would return shortly. Unsurprisingly he did not reappear, and when staff tried to charge his credit card, it was rejected by the bank.
The defendant claimed each of the incidents had been a misunderstanding. He said he had bought the stolen car he was caught driving when arrested, from a friend. The vehicle was one of seven stolen from a car lot in Valencia the previous week.
The Italian is set to appear in court later this month, although it is still unclear if he will face charges for all of his misdemeanours. or@theibizasun.com

FINANCIAL NEWS

BA Buy More Shares
British Airways increased its stake in the Spanish airline Iberia to more than 13 per cent on Wednesday, claiming it might acquire more shares in the future. The company bought a total of 3.05 per cent, taking its holding in the company to 13.15 per cent. The move came just three months after the British company pulled out of a takeover bid for Iberia, which led to speculation they would also soon be selling their shares.
BA chief executive, Willie Walsh, said the purchase reflected the strategic importance the company attached to their relationship with Iberia, and their continued confidence in its management. He also did not rule out any further acquisitions in the near future.
Iberia was privatised in 2001 and is the leading carrier linking Europe and Latin America, accounting for 18.7 per cent of the market, a sector BA have been keen to enter for sometime.
On the Madrid stock exchange, shares in Iberia rose by 3.31 per cent, to 2.50 euros in late afternoon trading, while in London BA shares dropped 3.26 per cent to 222.75 pence.

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