The striking Policía Local and Fire Service in Motril, who are refusing to do over time during Easter, have been replaced by cut-out Minions.

The municipal police union, SIPLG, are the people supplying and placing them around town as a way to emphasise that there a hardly any officers out on duty. They used the same Minion ‘stand-ins’ over in Salobreña last summer concerning policing disputes.

Mayor, Luisa García Chamorro, announced that during Semana Santa they would close the city-centre streets and would hire “volunteers to avoid incidents.”

The SIPLG responded by stating, “they will close down [central] street traffic and will direct the rest of traffic flow [using volunteers] even though they are calling it informing drivers.” In other words the volunteers will be officially only informing drivers as they don’t have the authority nor training to direct traffic.

The police union pointed out that directing traffic was the sole responsibility of trained police officers and expressed disbelief in what the Mayor was intending to do.

Editorial comment: the Mayor’s cabinet get their full salaries and expenses paid, but people who risk their lives putting out fires in homes don’t get paid overtime.

(News: Motril, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)