Spain: deal struck for new collective agreement in metals sector

The labour unions CCOO de Industria and UGT FICA have reached a pre-agreement, with employer group Confemetal, on the third national collective agreement for the metals sector (industry, technology, and services). The text agreed by metals sector social partners sets out a structure for collective bargaining in the sector and homogenises the standards* drawn from the different texts that were local and less broad in scope. It introduces innovations in the field of equal opportunities at work and regulates new situations brought about by digitalisation in the workplace. The text represents a framework for national level negotiations, which will then be reflected in the agreements reached at the provincial level. It protects the rights of nearly two million workers in the metals sector and will be valid for three years (2018-2020). The text is expected to be formally ratified by the governing bodies of the trade unions and employer organisations.
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  • In the area of equality


The text introduces new articles to define how to approach negotiations over equality plans and also specifies how prior diagnoses should be conducted, so potential issues of discrimination within companies can be identified.


It indicates that professional development and promotions within companies will be conducted in a neutral manner, on the basis of individuals’ level of training, taking care not to discriminate on the basis of age or gender. It

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