Calviño Calls For A Balanced Labor Reform In CCOO Congress

The Prime Vice President and Minister of Economy, Nadia Calviño, said it up to three times: the Government must approve a “balanced package” of labor measures. A nuance that takes on special relevance for the chosen forum: the inauguration of the XII Confederal Congress of the CCOO union in the presence of not only 800 union members, but also the general secretary of the UGT, Pepe Álvarez.

Although also the president of the CEOE, Antonio Garamendi, both present at the opening of the union congress led by Unai Sordo who, in all probability, will repeat four more years at the head of the union. As ministers, the person in charge of the Treasury, María Jesús Montero, and the person in charge of Social Security, José Luis Escrivá were present.

Who was not there was the second vice president and responsible for the negotiation of the labor reform with the social agents, Yolanda Díaz, who will attend the closing of the Congress next Saturday when the new Executive Committee of CCOO is voted.

However, the surprise at the nuance of the “balanced package” in reference to the labor reform turned into perplexity when Calviño was asked if he considered that the draft presented by the Ministry of Labor at the negotiating table was a “balanced package” . The vice president explained that there have only been “preliminary contacts” with the social agents and that the negotiation phase and realization of this “balanced” package of reforms has not started, a few words that have generated some discomfort in Yolanda Díaz’s team .

“I always say that it is balanced because many times the focus is on one element or another and I think that between now and the end of the year the challenge we have is to reach an agreement on all the elements that are part of that roadmap , defined jointly with the social agents and reflected in the Recovery Plan, “said Calviño.

“From these next few weeks we have to start working intensively with the social agents.” The labor reform table has been working with weekly meetings since mid-March. The first draft was delivered on March 30.

Calviño said that social agents have to address issues such as the simplification of labor contracts or the reduction of excessive temporary employment. In addition, the modernization of collective bargaining, the adequate regulation of subcontractors or the establishment of a new mechanism for stability and stabilization of employment that allows companies to have the necessary internal flexibility “but without the destruction of employment.”

The declarations of Otegi “do not help in the Budgets”
The Minister of Finance and Public Function, María Jesús Montero, assured yesterday that the statements of Arnaldo Otegi, from Bildu, “do not help” in the negotiation of the Budgets. And he added “with absolute resounding, that when we are sitting down to talk about public accounts, what we talk about is what the Budget law contains, investments in a territory or improving people’s conditions.” “I have never ever spoken in budget negotiation” with Bildu “about something other than numbers.”