30th May 2002I haven't really had a chance to read all of the following myself yet but
I've just logged off the AAFB website after copying several pages and having
them translated by Babelfish (thanks AAFB). The situation looks serious to
me yet I haven't seen a single word about it in the Majorca Daily Bulletin
which is my regular source of information !!
The following reports are dated on various dates at the end of May and I
reproduce them for you verbatim in date order:-
They protest to the Balearic Govern that is pronounced before the
prorogation of the concession of the Train of Sóller The present
administrators of the railroad of Sóller ask for the Balearic Govern that
makes a declaration of intentions and it pronounces myself before the
possible prorogation of the concession of the Train of Sóller. According to
the news appeared in the sollerense local press "the Veu de Sóller" in
interview made to the present President of the Railroad of Sóller D. Joan
Puig, recognizes the important work made by the previous Director of the
D.Rafael Company Mountain range during the 18 years that is been to the
front of the direction of the company, and that was not intention of this
one to do without its services, but that now is had to close a stage and to
open another new one. Until now and according to it appears in the news,
there was technical problems to solve like were the new cars, the
improvement of the routes, the street cars, but that now the fundamental
thing is the continuity or not of the concession. They want to look at this
problem making a good management of the railway company that makes the
refusal difficult of this prorogation. Difficulties economic of company says
are perfectly asumibles, and that the expectations that they had puttings in
the tourist street cars (coming from Lisbon) have not been made as it were
expected, but think that these have future. The study in charge to a company
specialized and independent on the viability of the company and the
evaluation of the jobs will be finalized at the end of the month of May. And
from the direction of the company one already scores that in case the
concession is not prorogued, the Balearic Govern is possible that cannot
absorb all the workers whom it has in group and it has aimed with an
example: "the Govern can be raised to unify the work brigade with the one of
serveis Ferroviaris of Majorca (SFM), or to transfer the factories to Palm.
I believe that the workers would have estra next to the company ".
Strike of the workers of the train of Sóller? According to the news appeared
in the sollerense local press, in the weekly magazine "the Veu de Sóller",
the workers of the train of Sóller are arranged to make a strike of 24 hours
that paralyzes to the railway company. To thus he affirmed the president it
of the Committee of Company, alleging that at the present time, the company
is in "technical shutdown", since all the decisions and performances of the
day to day depend on the Council of Administration, affirming in addition
that at the moment cannot nor be gone to buy a screw for the factories. From
this Committee of Company they understand that the present Council of
Administration is not enabled to manage the company. The 104 workers of the
train do not know as it is his future in the company and they solicit to
meet with the same one without conseguirlo.Estas demands of the workers of
the train of Sóller, are based on a report that an independent company is
carrying out which will evaluate the jobs and the viability of the company,
this report will be available to end of this month when reuna Council of
Administration, next the 30 of May. Obtained the negative results of the
company in these ultimos years materialized in a reduction of the number of
passengers and in whom in year 2,000 the benefit of the company was reduced
to a 50%, added in addition the resignation to the previous Director of the
Company that was it during 18 years Mr. Rafael Mountain range apparently by
divergences with the Council of Administration on the future of the company
have caused that the Railroad of Sóller is passing by a difficult situation
of crisis at the moment, in that their workers hope to obtain answers to
their requests.
The dismissals in the Railroad of Sóller begin According to the news
appeared in the local press, (Daily Balears, and Newspaper Completes Hour),
the company Ferrocarril de Sóller has dismissed three employees alleging
economic reasons. According to it is ***reflxed mng in this news, the
employees of the train of Sóller already were scared that the advice of
Administration planned a reduction of the group that was before these
dismissals of 104 workers. These dismissals apparently have been made
without previous warning alleging the economic problems and the viability of
empresa.(Hay that to remember that the plan of viability and the evaluation
of the jobs that are carrying out an independent company had to appear
already finalized in the following Council of Administration of the company
next the 30 of May). Of this same news Lee who from the Committee of Company
of the workers thinks that the life of the workers and the passengers is
putting in danger, since as much the wagons and the machines need urgent
performances that have not been able to do by lack of personnel, and who do
not understand this performance since the company has obtained in these last
five years gains and one important repayment to the members of the advice of
Administration (we will be living another situation similar to the one on
Perlas Majórica de Manacor) The answer of the Committee of Company before
the situation generated by the dismissals of these three workers is the one
to from now on apply the Collective Agreement as far as schedules reason why
the tourist street cars could let circulate
The Train of Sóller on the brink of madness the suspension of payments? In
the news on the Train of Sóller that appear in the Majorcan local press the
29 of May of 2,002, and in the first place in the Newspaper of Majorca it
appears like titling of the news that "the company admits that the train is
' ' to the edge '' of the suspension of payments" and we noticed that still
the study of viability of the company and the evaluation of the jobs has
still not appeared the Council of Administration that reune next the 30 of
May of 2.002. Also it appears as to title of the same news siguiente:"El
president of the company accuses the ex- director to commit ' '
irregularities '' by his bad management the personnel dismissals "the
present President of the Company blames the ex--director Rafael Mountain
range of a bad management and irregularities and that in the past exercise
50 million pesetas were lost, (you would acuerdesen of the weather that
winter underwent the past Majorca and that caused losses in the Train of
Sóller by the same value that scores now). Also it aimed that the number of
passengers in a 20% has been reduced (acuerdense also of past 11 of
September, when the attack of the twin towers of New York that caused the
reduction in the number of passengers that arrived at Majorca) The present
President also announces the suppression of the two you contract that he has
at the moment, to the one of the cleaning of the trains in charge a local
company that uses minusválidos for its social reintegration, and the
suspension of the contract with the company that is in charge of the
maintenance of the routes. Finally, the present president criticizes the
work made by the ex--director of the train, and that the Council of
Administration is surprised when seeing that the collective agreement is
very favorable to the workers. On the other hand, in the newspaper the
World, also appears a similar holder; "CRISIS ECONOMICA the Train of Sóller
announces that it is on the brink of madness the bankruptcy after 90 years
of splendor", gives the fault to the bad management of the previous
director, to the mistaken investment in the Portuguese street cars, and it
does not discard more dismissals and retirements anticipated in the workers
of the company. The Railroad of Sóller will ask for an increase of the
tariffs and an involution of the tourist services in damage of the regular
service of passengers. From this newspaper the Railroad of Sóller scores
"got to transport near a million passengers at the end of years 90, its time
of maximum splendor. Most of them they were tourist. The entrance in
operation of the Tunnel of Sóller and the put into operation of a regular
line of passengers by highway that the company of the Railroad rejected to
manage had diminished the use of the train on the part of the residents "
From the Sóller Weekly magazine one says that the present group will give a
term of 15 days to the company so that this one present a plan of
performances until the end of the concession, of not doing it, would be made
a series of mobilizations that would materialize in form of partial strikes
and unemployments in the service from next the 15 of June. The end of the
term given by the employees to the company finalizes next day 5 of June. Of
not obtaining answer, the union representatives will initiate one encamped
in the seat dés castellet (as opposed to the station of the train in
Soller).
I'm sorry its such a long report - you can log on to our friends at AAFB for
the original reports here but understand, please,
that the reports will be mostly in Mallorquin and you will have to put up
with the mega-annoying pop-up adverts from Galeon Hispavista.
This link is, of course, now long gone but I left the
comment here for the sake of historical note - Barry, 11th April, 2009.
Regards,
Barry
This is a brief and extremely sad newsletter. I will add to it as matters of interest arise. If anything else of moment should occur I will let all our regular readers know by e-mail. If anyone out there is not already on the "mailing list" and would like to be included, please let me know. Thanks again to my contributors and supporters, any comments on the contents will be appreciated.
Brief descriptions of the contents of previous newsletters
Mike Kaben's
Report
Books on Majorcan Railways (Revised March 2002)
A Gallery of Pictures of the Sóller Railway and the
Sóller Tramway is now available on Alan Rolfe's server (thanks Alan) by clicking
here.
Majorca Railways Home Page
Majorca Railways Photo Gallery
Watch this site for further
developments which will take place whenever new information or pictures come to hand. Any submissions or contributions of information, photos old or new, postcards, books etc., will be very gratefully and enthusiastically received and if used on the site will be suitably acknowledged (as above). The photos, pictures and diagrams used on this site are presented for your information and viewing pleasure only. If any of them should be in copyright violation and the copyright holder would care to notify me I will either remove them or acknowledge the copyright accordingly.
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© Barry
Emmott 30th May 2002, slightly revised 11th April, 2009
