The Balearics face unlicensed lifeguard operators with a commission targeting rogue companies

The lifeguarding sector in the Balearic Islands has decided to take a stand, in an organised manner and with a united front, against so-called “rogue companies” and unlicensed practices which, according to employers’ associations and trade unions, have degraded for years a service as essential as aquatic surveillance and safety.

To this end, organisations in the sector will promote a specific monitoring and compliance commission aimed at identifying, documenting and reporting operators that work outside the required labour and professional framework and that compete with abnormally low prices through irregular practices, thereby putting the safety of service users at risk.

The launch of this mechanism comes after the signing last December of the 2nd Sectoral Collective Agreement for Aquatic Surveillance and Lifeguarding, agreed between the Association of Rescue and Lifeguarding Companies (SALVIB), the Balearic Business Association of Lifeguarding (AEBS), and the trade unions CCOO, UGT and CGT.

This agreement marks a turning point for the sector and establishes a common framework for the coming years. The collective agreement will be in force from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2029 and sets out wages and working conditions which, as the signatory parties have explained, must be effectively complied with if a professional and sustainable service is to be guaranteed.

Within this context, the sector warns of what it considers a structural problem. For years, it argues, unfair competition has been fuelled by operators able to submit “out-of-market” bids because their staff, according to complaints, “were not covered by the regional collective agreement or were sustained through outright irregular arrangements”. This dynamic has allegedly led to undeclared employment, staff lacking the required qualifications, and even workers in an irregular administrative situation practising the profession. The sector itself points out that the Balearic Government is aware of this issue and highlights the Labour Inspectorate as a key body to ensure compliance.

The commission tasked with monitoring and pursuing “rogue companies and labour intrusion” will be activated with the participation of the entities that signed the agreement. All of them have announced a coordinated line of action to detect and report such practices whenever they occur. The idea, they explain, “is to channel evidence, verify it and act through the appropriate channels when there are solid indications”.

It is worth noting that the agreement signed in December is considered particularly significant because, firstly, it is the result of collective bargaining between workers and companies; secondly, it includes specific provisions for beach lifeguarding services and others specifically for pool lifeguarding, adapting conditions to different working realities; and thirdly, it provides for pay rises across all professional categories, with progressive increases throughout the agreed term.

With this framework in place, the signatories issue a clear warning: “when abnormally low prices appear, it is not due to efficiency, but to cuts that are incompatible with the agreement and to possible breaches of it”. To back up their claims, the sector provides figures, warning of bids one, two or even three euros per hour below market price, a difference which, given the current wage and social security contribution framework, they stress, “makes it unviable to sustain the service with solvency and continuity and may put the safety of many people at risk”.

The sector warns that “choosing based on price without verifying guarantees can entail legal, reputational and, above all, safety risks”. For this reason, they recommend contracting only companies that comply with regulations and can prove it through legal documentation, and ensuring ongoing monitoring throughout the entire duration of the contract, not just at the time of award.

Among the irregularities the sector claims to have detected are lifeguards not registered with Social Security, staff without the required qualifications, and in some cases workers in an irregular administrative situation. In fact, the document recalls that immigration inspections related to lifeguarding services have been carried out, and that some of these actions have focused on companies operating fraudulently by employing workers in an illegal situation.

The commission also announces a “zero tolerance” approach to labour fraud practices which, it says, continue to appear in the sector, such as under-the-table payments or overtime paid outside the payroll, even citing examples such as payments made “via Bizum”. These practices are considered illegal, distort competition and hinder labour traceability.

In the coming weeks, the commission will define its working mechanisms, aimed at detecting abnormally low bids, gathering information on potential breaches and publicly highlighting a reality which, according to the sector, has been normalised for far too long. In addition, the body plans to channel alerts and evidence so that, when solid indications exist, action can be taken through the appropriate channels and the matter referred to the competent authorities.

Among these mechanisms, an anonymous reporting email address will be set up, aimed especially at workers, though open to anyone with direct knowledge of irregularities, so that cases can be reported safely, prioritised, verified and, if confirmed, addressed swiftly.

The final objective, the signatory parties insist, is to ensure that from 2026 onwards the collective agreement is fully complied with, workers are protected and safety in aquatic environments is guaranteed, shutting out operators who compete outside the rules and thereby undermine an essential public service.