The request of Unai Sordo, general secretary of CC.OO., is clear. That the political and social debate in Spain is not limited to the hypothetical amnesty, but rather extends to issues with as much impact on citizens as mortgages, rents and what it costs to make ends meet. “It would be good if this country talked about more things than amnesty yes or amnesty no,” said Sordo in the presentation of the union's priorities for the new political course.
He has also warned that the approach to the investiture cannot be limited to two or three measures that make it easier to form a Government, but that a legislative approach will have to be made.
Precisely, a legislature in which the union develops basic points, such as establishing by law that the Minimum Interprofessional Wage is 60% of the average salary, a generalized reduction in working time, restricting the use of part-time work and compensation minimum of dismissal to discourage dismissal as a formula for adjustment. Some proposals that they consider essential to face the key situation that Spain is experiencing, with an intense moment of public and private investment, pending deployment based on European funds, and that should make it possible to reduce unemployment to rates of 8%.
“No one below 60% of the average salary,” demands Sordo, and to this end he proposes that it be established by law that the SMI be established at this level. It was an objective of the coalition government that it met by gradually increasing the interprofessional minimum wage until reaching this equivalence this year. The increase in the SMI is an exclusive decision of the Government that only has to be carried out after consulting the social agents, without further commitment. What the unions are now proposing is that equivalence be elevated to the level of law, without leaving it in the hands of the Government in power. In any case, they recognize that it is not easy to reach a consensus as 60% is calculated and that it is one of the points that must be worked on. What at the moment CC.OO. Its objective for the SMI of 2024 is not fixed, at least in figures.
They also insist on modifying the dismissal regime to discourage companies from using it as an adjustment formula. “Establish a minimum compensation beyond the seniority of the fired person,” demands Sordo, noting that with limited seniority there is no deterrent effect. What CC.OO asks for. is that a minimum compensation be established that “includes a minimum amount to achieve reparation and deterrence of unfair dismissal practices.” In the field of dismissal, the unions are still waiting for the statement from the European Committee of Social Rights of the Council of Europe, before which they denounced that in this field, Spain fails to comply with article 24 of the European Social Charter.
A second point that is demanded is the general reduction of working time to 35 hours per week. A reduction that can be carried out through different formats, from a four-day week to annual, weekly or monthly reductions, depending on the specific characteristics of each company or sector.
They also propose restricting the use of part-time work, which they consider a useful formula when it is desired by the company and the worker, but which is not usually the case, with a reality in which the employee does not usually want it and also with a large majority, 70 %, of women. They also criticize that some companies use additional hours so that part of the working day is not ordinary.
To avoid this, they propose that part-time contracts become full-time when the sum of ordinary hours plus complementary hours reaches a percentage (which could be 80% of those of full time) during a full-time period (two years for example).
Another option would be that without transforming the contract into complementary time, the complementary hours are consolidated as ordinary hours or set additional remuneration in the complementary hours due to the greater flexibility they give to the company.
