He reiterates that it would be “constitutional nonsense” to ignore the European Committee of Social Rights, and will therefore reform the dismissal process
Aug. 2 () –
The Secretary of State for Employment, Joaquín Pérez Rey, sees it possible to bring positions closer with CEOE and Cepyme at the next meeting to reduce the working day, which will take place on September 9, after the Government and social agents agreed to postpone negotiations until after the summer.
“I am confident that we will finally be able to come closer together at the meeting on 9 September,” Pérez Rey said at the press conference on unemployment and membership figures, while asking the employers’ association to “make an effort” at the meeting to reduce working hours from 40 hours a week to 37.5 hours, a measure that “all citizens are demanding.”
Similarly, Pérez Rey has indicated that negotiations have been ongoing since January and that, after the last meeting, the elements that have to form part of the reduction of the working day have been agreed upon: digital disconnection, effective time recording and gradual reduction of working hours.
Along these lines, he has argued that the Government, “far from being inflexible”, is using all the options at its disposal to ensure that companies and workers can gradually adapt to this reduction in working hours while keeping a record that guarantees that the working day is being fulfilled.
On the other hand, when asked about the ruling of the European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) in relation to the fact that the cost of dismissal in Spain is not a deterrent, Pérez Rey has maintained that it would be “a constitutional nonsense” to ignore the body, so Spain must reform the unfair dismissal.
“We have to comply expressly, because Spain has no chance of standing outside of compliance with its international obligations,” he stressed.
Along these lines, he recalled that the Government agreement between PSOE and Sumar contemplates a modification of unfair dismissal to adapt it to the European Social Charter.
“Our system of dismissals needs to be addressed from the perspective of defending the social rights proclaimed by the Council of Europe and we will do so, as always, within the framework of social dialogue,” he concluded.
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