TIB strike over: relief on Mallorca — but questions remain

A sigh of relief — but still reasons to ponder

The sound of engines and doors opening and closing regularly again at Plaça d'Espanya feels like a small celebration after days of emptiness: the long-running strike by intercity bus drivers (TIB) is officially over, as reported in Huelga de la TIB terminada: alivio en Mallorca, pero siguen las preguntas. Unions and employers have signed a new collective agreement: higher wages, shorter working hours and more vacation days. For many drivers who sip their café con leche on the corner in the mornings, this is a visible victory.

The key question remains: Are the new concessions a sustainable foundation or merely a postponement of bigger problems in the island's transport? When buses roll again, you can hear the relief — but also the quiet ticking of a clock waiting for answers.

What the agreement concretely delivers

The union calls it a historic step. Indeed, the improvements for employees are substantial: better pay, fewer shifts, more recovery time. In practice this means less stress behind the wheel, less fatigue on narrow country roads toward Sóller or Manacor — and potentially more safety for passengers traveling along the coast or inland.

For commuters and tourists the outcome is important, too. Intercity buses are often the only affordable connection between villages like Inca, Campos or Alcúdia and Palma. If the TIB runs stably, the island breathes easier: lower taxi costs, less overcrowding on routes during peak season and somewhat less chaos on the Paseo Marítimo on sunny mornings.

What is often left out of the public debate

While jubilant images of smiling drivers and handshakes dominate, three construction sites are rarely discussed in detail: financing, staffing and network structure. Who will carry the higher long-term personnel costs? Are operators and the public authorities prepared to finance wages permanently without fares rising or routes being cut?

A second, underestimated point is the driver shortage: many young people in Palma and the villages today do not see an attractive entry into the bus profession. Better working conditions help, but a sustainable personnel strategy — training, fair shift schedules, prospects for re-entrants — is still missing.

And finally: the strike drama has exposed weaknesses in the route network. Connections are thin, especially in rural areas. If there are fewer but better-paid drivers available, quality could improve — but service frequency might also be reduced if no compensating measures are taken.

Concrete next steps and solutions

The official signing is scheduled for Tuesday morning, following a provisional deal reported in La huelga de TIB en Mallorca podría terminar pronto. After that, the implementation phase begins — a good time for transparency and oversight. Mallorca's administration, the TIB operator and the unions should now set up monitoring: fixed metrics for punctuality, route frequency and staff turnover. That way it will be possible to detect early whether the agreements are effective.

Practical solutions that go beyond collective agreements would include:

- Public co-financing for a transition period so that wage increases do not lead to drastic fare hikes. - Subsidised training places and recruitment campaigns in schools and vocational colleges to attract young drivers. - More flexible duty rosters and a rotation system that fairly balances long night and weekend shifts. - A realistic review of the route network: where are frequencies sensible, and where are demand-responsive services the better alternative?

A look ahead

On the streets you can feel the end of the strike: buses hum again like bees along the coast, passengers board, markets at the Plaça and cafés fill up. But the calm is not yet the calm after the storm; it is more a breather. The agreement is a step in the right direction — but it does not automatically answer whether mobility on Mallorca will be affordable, reliable and fair for workers in the future.

If the island administration acts wisely now, the TIB crisis could become an opportunity: for better jobs, a more modern network and less pressure on roads like the MA-13 motorway on windy days. If not, the next confrontation could loom, perhaps in a worse season. Until Tuesday morning there is time to read the signatures — and to set the course for the future.