Spain: agreement between the Basque regional administration and the social partners in support of the Industry 4.0 transition process

The Basque Region’s government together with the employers’ body Confebask and the CCO and UGT trade unions have agreed to prepare a support plan for those affected by technological change in the world of work. The parties, as part of the Social Dialogue Committee, have committed to acting in unison and promoting a ‘Just Transition’ towards Industry 4.0. The agreement intends for policies that guarantee skills and competences re-qualification, career guidance, and even possibly social aid for workers affected by digitalization, automation and changing production systems. The agreement’s signatories also commit to developing training programs and specific re-qualification programs for both workers who won’t be redeployed within the same company and those in companies that cease business operations. The agreement also suggests the potential for a regionally based system of social security coverage for those affected by the changing face of the production model. While the CCOO and UGT trade unions signed the agreement, the region’s majority nationalist ELA and LAB bodies did not.