The labor reform gave a deadline for the extension of the validity of collective agreements being renegotiated (they used to be automatically extended after their term until another agreement was signed). On July 8, the one-year anniversary of the reform, agreements that have been obsolete for at least 12 months will no longer apply and the employees concerned could end up being covered only by the Statute of Workers (labor legislation), thus loosing all the advantages negotiated before in terms of pay and working conditions. The Minister of Labor is calling on employers and unions to reopen talks in order to maintain the protection of workers and avoid a wave of social conflicts. (Ref. 130259)
Unions blame employers for the paralysis and want to defend the benefits of collective bargaining. CCOO and UGT are accusing employers’ organizations of stopping negotiations before the agreements are expired so they can impose new, minimum pay and working conditions in businesses or sectors where unions aren’t very present. There will be mobilizations in May and June to demand a return to the bargaining table and defend the gains included in the agreements in danger. The law provides that,
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