The government published today in the Official State Gazette a large number of measures that passed through the Council of Ministers on Tuesday. It was expected that among the royal decrees that would see the light of day would be one that would reform unemployment benefits, but there were various surprises. On the one hand, as previously published Information, benefit receipt will not be 100% compatible with employment, but the amount to be received will vary depending on whether the employment is part-time or full-time, the hours worked and the time it is received. On the other hand, the law now establishes the priority of regional agreements over state or industry agreements, and also that only those workers who have seniority, which in practice does not exist, will be able to enter into agreements with artists.

“CEOE and CEPYME wish to demonstrate their total rejection, without prior notice and with disregard for social dialogue, of the predominance of regional agreements over national or corporate agreements included in the legislative package that was given the green light on Tuesday. Council of Ministers. From a formal point of view, we want to remember that the Constitution itself includes a mandate to consult with social agents regarding changes of this magnitude in collective bargaining. trade unions and business organizations radically ignored agreements reached through social dialogue. lack of loyalty and trust necessary for social dialogue,” protested the main employers’ associations.

“We must restore trust, which is currently being undermined by the government’s unilateral decisions.”

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“From the CCOO, we call on Pedro Sánchez to convene a table of social dialogue as soon as possible in order to define the perimeter of the reforms that will be discussed in this new legislative body and restore the trust that is currently being undermined unilateral government decisions such as changes to the structure of collective bargaining or the subsidy regulation itself, which, although not measures that seem to us particularly aggressive (…), are treated by the Government in a very uninvolved manner towards social agents. “Social dialogue brought excellent results in the previous legislature, and we believe that the president needs to open various spaces for social consultation as soon as possible in order to avoid the situations that we faced throughout yesterday,” the secretary general criticized. Working commissions, Unai Sordo.

Unemployment benefits will not be compatible with work

In the case of unemployment benefits, which go to unemployed people whose unemployment benefits have ended if they meet certain requirements, the big surprise was how it could be made work-compatible. In conversations with journalists, Labor Party sources repeatedly stressed the importance of such compatibility, and also made it clear that it would not be a problem for the Ministry of Economy, whose demands were complicating negotiations. The Labor Party proposal always included: or so they said from the mentioned ministry, that 100% of the subsidy must be received within the first 45 days in which the beneficiary starts a new job.

Finally, the rule states that the job search will be subsidized for up to 180 days, but this period will be significantly reduced. Depending on the employee’s circumstances This reduction will be up to 95%. from the subsidy amount. For example, the best case scenario is for a full-time employee who has been receiving the subsidy for less than three months: he will receive 80% of the IPREM for the first three months of his new job, and then the amount will be reduced to receiving 20% ​​of the IPREM. On the other hand, if a part-time employee works less than 50% of the time, they will start receiving 60% of the IPREM during the first quarter of the new job and will eventually receive 5% at the end. period.

Thus, the subsidy becomes, for those returning to the labor market, “additional payment for employment”This is stated in the Official Gazette (BOE). It should be remembered that economists have insisted that the main change to be made was to make the subsidy compatible with employment, since it is important to convince the unemployed that it is in their interests to accept a job offer so that they can return to work. labor market. However, if the law stops them receiving benefits when they start working and they face redundancy shortly thereafter, they may choose to remain unemployed, partly also due to the legal difficulties of re-receiving the subsidy and therefore the risk of losing their job. receiving any type of income.

Prevalence of regional agreements

According to the same royal decree, collective agreements and regional interprofessional agreements “shall have priority of application over any other industrial or national agreement” always if “such agreements and agreements “receive the support of the required majority.” establish a bargaining commission in the relevant bargaining unit, and its regulation is more favorable to workers than that established by government conventions or agreements.”

In this way and just like PSOE reached an agreement with the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), regional agreements will take precedence over national or company agreements, a reform that has not been discussed with social agents and has angered business organizations CEOE and Cepyme. The only issues that cannot be discussed at the regional level are: “probationary period, contract conditions, occupational classification, maximum annual working hours, disciplinary regime, minimum standards for the prevention of occupational hazards and geographical mobility.” , as specified in the same standard.

Artists will not be able to enter into agreements

In the field of elections of representative bodies of artists – persons carrying out their activities in the field of performing, audiovisual and musical arts, as well as persons carrying out technical or auxiliary activities necessary for the development of these activities – it is established that They can’t be elected those people who They have not been in company for at least 20 days. But most artists only have day contracts, so they are not eligible for work if seniority is required.

“People engaged in artistic activities and in technical and auxiliary activities necessary for their development (…) will be voters when they reach sixteen years of age and will have the right to vote when they reach eighteen years of age, and provided that in both cases, they have worked in the company for at least twenty days.” Today exactly short duration of this type of contract This is what prevents union elections from taking place in this sector, and consequently the CNT, CGT, TACEE and PEATE unions have demanded that unions with sufficient implementation are the ones who can negotiate collective agreements as an alternative to such representation, which cannot happen.