Beach bars across Majorca are struggling to find staff just as the busy tourist season gets underway. The island’s association for beach bars has warned it is facing a serious recruitment problem ahead of Easter. A combination of high living costs, lack of affordable housing, and bureaucratic delays has made it harder to fill roles.

According to the Majorca Daily Bulletin, there are still good prospects for the season, but the shortage of staff is raising alarm bells in resorts. Onofre Fornés, the president of the beach bars association, said: “Beach bars continue to be a key driver of employment and add value in Majorca’s tourist resorts. Beach bars and beach services enrich the tourist experience and play a fundamental role in promoting quality tourism on the island.”

But he also called for “improved coordination by the relevant authorities” to help make beach bars a more stable and sustainable part of the Balearic tourism model.

Part of the problem is a delay in town hall-issued licences. 

These need authorisation from the Balearic Government’s coastal directorate, and slow procedures mean bars are often left waiting for permits to be renewed just as the season begins.

But the labour shortages are not just limited to Easter. 

The wider hospitality industry is also struggling to recruit enough people for the summer, and a much bigger problem could be looming.

Holidaymakers heading to Majorca, Ibiza, and Menorca this year could be caught up in strikes, as unions and employers continue to clash over working conditions and pay.

The Majorca Daily Bulletin reports that talks have broken down, and unions have accused employers of “pushing us toward conflict”. 

Workers are demanding a 19% pay rise over three years and a reduction to a 35-hour working week, among other changes.

José García Relucio, the general secretary of UGT-Services, said: “It seems that all they are trying to do is dynamite the negotiating table.”

If no agreement is reached by May 27, industrial action could take place at the height of the holiday season. 

Around 180,000 hospitality workers across Spain could be affected, including hotel receptionists, cleaners, waiters and bar staff.