Protest in Palma over 'compulsory catalán' for medical staff
Sunday, February 18, 2018 @ 6:54 PM
A MASS protest with over 2,500 people has taken over the centre of Palma de Mallorca over the requirement for anyone working in the health service to be able to speak the regional language.
Balearic tongues – Ibicuenco, Menorquín and Mallorquín – belong to the same family as catalán, which is spoken in Catalunya and valenciano, spoken in the three eastern provinces of Valencia, Castellón and Alicante.
In all these areas – along with the Basque Country and Galicia, which also have co-official languages, euskera and galego – anyone working in the public sector has to show certificates to prove they are fluent in these tonuges, even if they are native Spanish-speakers, given that all residents have the right to communicate and be communicated with in the vernacular if they wish.
But the Palma protesters say 'languages do not save lives, medical knowledge does', and are calling for a health service 'without linguistic barriers'.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com