General strike attracts limited support in Menorca

In the majority of small and medium shops and companies it was business as usual and even in the public sector fewer people stopped work than had been anticipated.

In the Mateu Orfila Hospital in Maó all the scheduled operations and consultants' visits were carried out as normal. Of the 478 hospital workers on duty in the morning, only 16 went on strike, and only one of the afternoon shift of 116 stopped work. In the rest of the island's health sector, 15 of the 182 morning workers and one of the 50 on afternoon shift went on strike. Overall, the official figure for the stoppage was 3.99%.

Nor did the strike make much impression on the airport where 23 of the programmed 29 flights operated, although some of the flights from the U.K. were delayed.

Hotel staff worked as normal, only 0.19% (according to ASHOME) stopping work.

However, two areas where the strike was noted were the rubbish collection service, with only one dustcart working on the night of Tuesday/Wednesday, and the Quesería Menorquina factory where 98% (union figures) or 53% (according to the factory's management) of workers went on strike.

Picket action did succeed in closing the LIDL supermarket in Ciutadella for a short period, stopping three regular services from leaving the Maó bus station and halting traffic on the Vía Ronda near the hospital for ten minutes, but otherwise there were no incidents of note.

The demonstrations in Maó attracted 4,000 protesters (union figures) or 920 (Local Police sources) and in Ciutadella around 200.

Despite the lack of support for the stoppage, the unions have not ruled out futher actions if the Government continues with its labour and pension reforms.