The TIB bus strike in the Balearic Islands has ended after seven days of conflict between drivers and the operating companies. The Autonomous Transport Union of the Islands (SATI) and the eight companies responsible for the interurban service have reached a preliminary agreement that improves working conditions across the sector.

TIB Bus

Photo: CAIB.

The agreement includes a gradual salary increase: 5% in 2025, 3% in 2026, and for 2027 and 2028, rises linked to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), with an additional 0.5% in 2027. It also includes an extension of annual leave, which will now be calculated in working days rather than calendar days. Working conditions will also improve, with more balanced shifts and longer rest periods — key demands from drivers who had complained of long hours and poor conditions.

Social responsibility

The employers’ association has acknowledged that these improvements may impact business profitability, but said it will implement them out of social responsibility and in the interest of public transport users. The strike, which began last Friday, caused disruptions across services in Mallorca, Menorca, and Eivissa — particularly challenging during the peak tourist season.

SATI will put the preliminary agreement to a vote in workers’ assemblies held today across the three islands. If approved, the TIB bus service is expected to return to normal, marking the end of a week-long stoppage that affected thousands of passengers.

This has been the first indefinite strike in the history of the Balearic interurban transport system, launched on 25 July.