The Minister of Finance, Arcadi España, presents this Friday in Palma the new insularity bonus for State officials in the Balearics. Police unions and civil guards describe it as "ridiculous" and warn that it will not stop the exodus of agents.
The visit of the Minister of Finance, Arcadi España, to Palma to promote the new insularity bonus has coincided with a wave of criticism from police forces. The Spanish Civil Guards Association (AEGC) and the Spanish Police Confederation (CEP) have issued statements outright rejecting the approved amounts.
"It does not compensate for life in the Balearics. It does not compensate for the cost of housing. It does not compensate for the cost of the shopping basket. It does not compensate for travel and it does not compensate for the difficulty of starting a family here," summarises the AEGC in a tone that leaves no room for doubt. The organisation considers that the increase, after more than two decades of demands, is "ridiculous" and "completely detached" from the economic reality of the archipelago.
The CEP, for its part, directly labels the measure as an "insult" to national police and other public employees. "It does not guarantee that the vacant positions can be filled nor that those already working in the Balearics will decide to stay," they state from the confederation, which sees the bonus as merely a "patch" that does not solve the structural problem of a lack of personnel.
A bonus that varies by island and category
The agreement signed by the Government establishes different amounts depending on the civil service group and the destination island. In Majorca, the bonus for officials in group A1 increases from 115.01 to 214.61 euros per month; for A2, from 92.5 to 175.4; for C1, from 80.51 to 144.6; for C2, from 53.39 to 119.2; and for Professional Groups (AP), from 49.48 to 105.31 euros.
In the rest of the islands (Ibiza, Menorca and Formentera), the amounts are significantly higher: A1 increases from 127.33 to 697.6 euros; A2, from 110.99 to 502.30; C1, from 101.42 to 405.10; C2, from 68.60 to 297.90; and AP, from 68.03 to 263.17 euros.
The AEGC criticises that the compensation depends on the administrative category. "The mortgage does not decrease because a civil guard earns less than a superior officer. The shopping basket does not distinguish between ranks, categories or administrative groups," they warn. They believe that it is the officials with tighter salaries who suffer the most from the extra cost of living in the Balearics.
Furthermore, the association questions that the amounts for the Pitiusas and Menorca, although higher, remain insufficient. "Double and triple insularity cannot be used to disguise a measure that is inadequate as a whole," they assert.
Exodus of agents and public services at a minimum
Behind the figures lies a problem that directly affects the average citizen. The personnel of the Civil Guard and National Police in the Balearics are "at a minimum", according to the unions. Numerous agents leave the islands "as soon as they have the slightest opportunity", which leads to a permanent rotation of temporary personnel who do not know the territory nor create bonds.
This impacts the quality of public services: from citizen security to attention in police stations or response to emergencies. For residents in Majorca, the lack of stable agents translates into longer wait times for procedures, fewer patrols on the streets, and a feeling of being unprotected.
Both organisations agree on the solution: a "decent" and "real" insularity bonus that truly compensates for the extra cost of living in the Balearics and allows for the attraction and retention of the professionals that the archipelago needs. Otherwise, they warn, the problem will remain entrenched.
Meanwhile, Minister Arcadi España was photographed this morning in Palma with the UGT and CSIF unions, which have supported the agreement. For the agents, that image does not reflect the reality of those who face a cost of living every day that the bonus, they say, fails to cover.
You may also like
