The Foment del Treball employers' association took advantage this Monday of the delivery of the XVI Awards and Medals of Honor - Carles Ferrer Salat Awards to demand the “necessary stability” from the different political parties and governments. The message launched yesterday by the president of Foment, Josep Sánchez Llibre, comes just when the last details regarding the amnesty that will facilitate the investiture of President Pedro Sánchez are being closed. In the same scenario, the president of the Generalitat, Pere Aragonès, assured that this amnesty is the previous step to be able to "reach compromises." And among these commitments he cited, for example, resolving the fiscal deficit and improving people's mobility. “We have an opportunity that we must take seriously to solve the problems of Catalonia,” added Aragonès.
In his speech, Sánchez Llibre assured that “these basic and essential consensuses on economic policy will undoubtedly provide more stability and allow companies to return to Catalonia because this is where they have to be.” He said it just after the ceremony of awarding the Medal of Honor for Business Achievement to Juan Echevarría Puig, and the Medal of Honor for Entrepreneur of the Year to Joan Castells, president of FIATC Seguros.
The Government was represented at the event by the Minister of Industry, Héctor Gómez, who opted for “dialogue and the strength of institutions.” The mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, also agreed on the need for “dialogue.”
The president of Foment took advantage of the presence of politicians to demand changes in fiscal policy: “We ask governments that when they talk about fiscal reform or raising taxes, they do so while reducing current spending and slimming down administrations (we are in the digital age) and set an example by saving.” Sánchez Llibre highlighted that “it is important that we all respect the playing field and the powers that each one has”, and specifically cited that “the recent agreements on the reduction of working hours are an example: it is an issue that has to be raised within the framework of social dialogue.” Employers have been very critical of the proposal to reduce the working day to 37.5 hours.
Sánchez Llibre summarized the necessary consensuses in seven, which include “guaranteeing economic growth, providing economic stability, facilitating investments, creating stable jobs, creating a competitive business-friendly tax ecosystem, guaranteeing legal certainty, and reinforcing social cohesion and reduce inequalities.”
Foment awarded the medal to Echevarría for his “incessant search for excellence and good corporate governance as a business leader of leading companies such as Fecsa, Nissan Motor Ibérica, Ebro-Kubota, or Cable y Televisión de Catalunya (Menta), and, especially , for his commitment to modernity during the years at the head of Mutua Universal.”
As for Castells, the award wants to recognize the work of the director at the head of FIATC and his work in the insurance sector. Member of the advisory council of the employers' association Unespa, Castells has been part of the CEOE.
The rest of the winners were Randstad, Esbo Logistics, Moventia, ONG K9 Creixell and Vallformosa.
