Thousands of touristswere stranded on arrival at Majorca airport for the second day today due to a strike by coach drivers demanding higher wages.
With some 135,000 holidaymakers scheduled to arrive today,virtually the entire fleet of 1,500 taxis plus rental cars weremobilized to ferry passengers to their hotels, the airport authoritysaid.
By midday some 4,000 people were stuck in the arrivals hallwaiting their turn for transport. Most of the tourists were Britishor German.
Outside, riot police prevented picketing coach drivers fromblocking the road from the airport.
Flights operated normally at the Majorca airport, but delayswere reported at neighboring Menorca and Ibiza airports. In Ibiza,police escorted coaches driven by non-striking workers.
The regional government on the prime holiday island attempted invain yesterday evening to broker a settlement in a pay dispute,which is pitting management against unions who represent 80 per centof the Balearic archipelago's 7,800 tourist coach drivers.
Strikers demanded that management increase their pay rise offerfrom 15 to 17.2 per cent.
AFP
