Spain: trade unions and employers lay out their respective demands ahead of the legislative elections set for 28 April

In the run-up to the legislative elections on 28 April 2019, both the employers and trade unions have been publishing their messages to the election candidates, as well as to the future government, outlining their demands in terms of collective bargaining and an overhaul of both the system of collective conventions and the labor market. Spain’s social partners do at least agree on one thing and that is the need for a thorough review of the legal framework surrounding collective bargaining. However that is where the common ground ends. While trade unions are calling for a better progressive taxation system with heftier contributions coming from the larger corporates, in contrast, employers are seeking overall reductions in taxes and business charges. Similarly, trade unions are calling for the cancellation of economic crisis-related flexibility measures and for a strengthening of norms underlying collective conventions, whereas employers are looking for the opposite in terms of simpler rules giving businesses more freedom to act.