Spain: labor market reform finally adopted

, playing with complicated alliance games between nationalistic and left-wing groups. The document voted yesterday, September 9th, passes over the key changes brought on August 25th by the opposition, when the text went through the Senate, that were aimed to toughen the bill. The majority unions, Workers’ Commissions and UGT, opposed to the reform, called for a general strike on September 29th. (Ref. 100628)

Here are the key points of the new act:

• Simpler appeal to fair layoff for economic reasons, with compensation up to 20 days per year worked, so that businesses use it more often rather than to use unfair layoff (with 45 days’ compensation) to avoid legal appeals.