The unions yesterday again demanded the extension of the relief contract that expires at the end of the month, but the Minister of Inclusion and Social Security, Elma Saiz, did not make any commitment in the meeting she held at the highest level with the social agents. This type of contract, which, combined with partial retirement, allows for a rejuvenation of the workforce at the same time as the incorporation into employment of people registered for unemployment, was already extended in December of last year, but now we are approaching a new limit .
Upon leaving the meeting, the deputy general secretary of union policy of UGT, Fernando Luján, expressed his complaints because yesterday the ministry did not announce the expected extension either. “I have expressed our concern, our concern that at this point there is still no extension of the contract for the replacement of the manufacturing industry. Last year the same thing happened. There is some uncertainty in companies and among workers about what will happen with a mechanism that serves to rejuvenate staff,” said Luján. Also the general secretary of CC.OO. Unai Sordo requested the extension of this contract and also that it be extended to other activities. “It is a good formula and we want a deadline to address it as soon as possible and for it to be extendable to other sectors,” Sordo said.
However, Minister Saiz did not want to make any commitment at the meeting, despite the fact that everyone takes the extension for granted, which would later allow the adaptation of the partial retirement regulation to be negotiated calmly. The minister only stated that she has listened “actively” to the social agents and that “we are going to continue working on these issues that had been pending.”
This new regulation of the relief contract and partial retirement was to be closed in June of this year, but the call for early elections interrupted the process that must now begin again. To give time to negotiate, however, the extension of the current regulations is required. The general secretaries of CC.OO attended the meeting. and UGT, Unai Sordo and Pepe Álvarez, and the presidents of the CEOE and Cepyme, Antonio Garamendi and Gerardo Cuerva.
It was the first contact with the minister, who, upon leaving, highlighted that starting in January the contribution for scholarship recipients comes into effect. “More than 1.3 million young people will have greater protection,” said Saiz, also recalling the option of recognizing the rights of people who can prove that they have carried out these practices up to five years ago.