Isha Sesay
BUSINESS owners in the Balearic Islands have slammed the government’s decision to keep bars and restaurants closed until at least the beginning of March.
Last week, President Francina Armengol announced that she would keep bars and restaurants closed in Formentera, Ibiza, Mallorca and Menorca until March 2.
She said this was ‘to maintain a good trend in infections for another 14 days’ and that these particular restrictions ‘were working’, bringing the coronavirus incidence rate down by 49% in just two weeks.
However, unions representing business owners have publicly voiced their condemnation towards the Balearic government.
In a joint statement, the Confederation of Business Associations (CAEB) and the Federation of Small and Medium Businesses (PIMEM) said:
“We unanimously reject the restrictions announced by the regional government which have been taken without any consideration of the sector.”
They went on to say the decision was ‘utter nonsense’, made worse by the fact that ‘no financial aid has been provided to those impacted by the closures’.
They said: “They are once again criminalising a sector that has sacrificed so much in recent months, has always been compliant and without a doubt, is the most affected, with thousands now struggling to survive.”
They continued that the government’s actions showed a ‘clear lack of respect towards workers, employers and their families’, considering that ‘they found out through the media, when the message should have been relayed privately’.
“We are living in an unprecedented situation where the government makes us waste our time and talent writing documents and reports that are neither read or answered.”
In recent weeks, thousands of people working in the sector have participated in mass protests to denounce the Balearic government over the COVID-19 restrictions.
Bars and restaurants across the Balearic Islands have been impacted considerably under the enforced measures, first operating under limited hours and then being told to close indefinitely.
