Isusi, Iñigo

The 1st May Foundation (Fundación 1º de Mayo [1]) of the Trade Union Confederation of Workers’ Commissions (Confederación Sindical de Comisiones Obreras, CCOO [2]) has recently published a report (in Spanish) [3], within the context of International Women’s Day [4] on 8 March, showing some specific effects of the current economic crisis on the Spanish female labour market. The main results of the report, based on the official information provided by the Spanish Labour Force Survey (/Encuesta de Población Activa/, EPA [5]), are outlined below. [1] http://www.1mayo.ccoo.es/ [2] http://www.ccoo.es/csccoo/ [3] http://www.1mayo.ccoo.es/nova/NNws_ShwNewDup?codigo=2907&cod_primaria=1171&cod_secundaria=1171 [4] http://www.internationalwomensday.com/ [5] http://www.ine.es/jaxi/menu.do?type=pcaxis&path=/t22/e308_mnu&file=inebase&L=0

In March 2009, the Centre for the Research of Health at Work (Centro de Investigación en Salud Laboral, CISAL [1]) within the University Pompeu Fabra (Universitat Pompeu Fabra, UPF [2]) published the report ‘Immigration, work and health’ (ITSAL: Inmigración, Trabajo y Salud (3.9Mb PDF) [3]). The research project was financed by the Sanitary Research Fund of the Carlos III Health Institute (Instituto de Salud Carlos III, ISC [4]). From a methodological perspective, the study was conducted between 2006 and 2008, combining both quantitative information from the official statistics on accidents at work (in Spanish) [5] issued by the Ministry of Labour and Immigration (Ministerio de Trabajo e Inmigración, MTIN [6]) and qualitative information directly obtained from individual interviews and focus groups among migrants working in Spain for at least three months. [1] http://www.upf.edu/cisal/ [2] http://www.upf.edu/ [3] http://www.upf.edu/cisal/_pdf/ITSAL_informe.pdf [4] http://www.isciii.es/htdocs/index.jsp [5] http://www.mtin.es/estadisticas/bel/ATE/index.htm [6] http://www.mtin.es/index.htm

The report [1] on the labour market participation of people aged 55–64 years and their career paths (in Spanish) [2] was published in May 2009 by the research institute Fundación 1º de Mayo [3]. The latter was established by the Trade Union Confederation of Workers’Commissions (Comisiones Obreras, CC.OO [4]) in 1988. [1] http://www.1mayo.ccoo.es/nova/NBdd_ShwDocumento?cod_primaria=1185&cod_documento=1882 [2] http://www.1mayo.ccoo.es/nova/NBdd_ShwDocumento?cod_primaria=1185&cod_documento=1882 [3] http://www.1mayo.ccoo.es/nova/NNws_ShwNewDup?codigo=1852&cod_primaria=1209&cod_secundaria=1209 [4] http://www.ccoo.es/

In February 2009, the human resources company Adecco [1] published a press release (in Spanish, 38Kb PDF) [2] on the job profiles currently being accepted by unemployed people in Spain. The information is based on official statistics and Adecco’s own business data; the main findings of the research are outlined below. [1] http://www.adecco.com/ [2] http://www.adecco.es/_data/NotasPrensa/pdf/127.pdf

The aims of the study are to provide an outline of SMEs in their social, economic, and environmental context; a rough determination of SMEs’ needs for education and training relating to the environment and sustainable development; a rough determination of training and information needs of regulatory agencies; and an outline of the provision of education and training from different sources.

In May 2008, the Regional Quantitative Analysis Group in the Research Institute of Applied Economics (Grup de Recerca Anàlisi Quantitativa Regional, Institut de Recerca d’Economia Aplicada, AQR-IREA [1]) at the University of Barcelona, in collaboration with the recruitment company Manpower Professional [2], published the Manpower Study on Labour Quality (in Spanish, 1.23Mb PDF) [3], which covers the period 2001–2006. This study uses the Labour Quality Index (LQI) to provide information on the situation and evolution of the issue of ‘work quality’. The LQI has been defined according to a system of statistical indicators that allow for the evaluation of the multidimensional concept of work quality, following the guidelines suggested by the Communication from the European Commission ‘Employment and social policies: a framework for investing in quality (137Kb PDF) [4]’ (COM(2001) 313 final). Moreover, the LQI takes into account a total of 70 statistical indicators grouped under the following 10 quality dimensions suggested by the Commission: [1] http://www.ub.es/dpees/aqr/ [2] http://www.manpowerprofessional.es/Pub/content.asp?ref=AZUL&noderef=home&langid=es [3] http://129.35.74.13/Img/5FB7198B2B8D48E2A607BCFC4C1EB8BA.pdf [4] http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/employment_analysis/com2001_0313_en.pdf

In December 2007, the temporary work agency Adecco [1] presented the results of a survey on the main preferences of Spanish workers in relation to their working and employment conditions. The Adecco survey, entitled ‘What would you ask your company at Christmas time?’ (¿Qué le pedirías a tu empresa por navidad? (Summary, 67Kb PDF) [2]), was conducted among 2,000 Spanish workers and covers different aspects relating to the workplace – such as salary, social benefits, working environment, and conciliation between work and personal life. The survey also reports on what Spanish workers hope and wish for their company in the next year. [1] http://www.adecco.es/ [2] http://www.adecco.es/_data/NotasPrensa/pdf/66.pdf

Flexibility [1] in working time is one of the most valuable tools that individuals have to reconcile work with other aspects of life, particularly in relation to family duties. Thus, this practice is gradually extending throughout European workplaces as an effective way to reconcile work and personal or family life. [1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/industrial-relations-dictionary/flexibility

In March 2007, the Centre for Sociological Research (Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas, CIS [1]), a public institution which carries out studies on diverse dimensions of Spanish society, published a report entitled Women managers: Transition towards top management (in Spanish, available for purchase) [2]. The report examines the way in which factors such as social structure, family, professional relations, education and cultural stereotypes limit women’s careers in their advancement towards senior management positions. Apart from these external factors, internal variables such as age and personal characteristics can also be crucial in this respect. [1] http://www.cis.es [2] http://www.cis.es/cis/opencms/ES/3_publicaciones/catalogo/ver.jsp?id=423

In April 2007, the Spanish parliament (Congreso de los Diputados [1]) approved a report (in Spanish, 657Kb PDF) [2] with policy proposals on the regulation and adaptation of working time regulation and work flexibility in Spain. The overall aim of the report is to address the issue of reconciling work, family and personal life in a balanced way. The report analyses the concept of work-life balance [3] and provides an in-depth review of the current situation, highlighting those elements that underline the extent of the problem in Spain (see also the EWCO article ‘Working time organisation under review’, ES0603019I [4]). [1] http://www.congreso.es/portal/page/portal/Congreso/Congreso [2] http://www.congreso.es/public_oficiales/L8/CONG/BOCG/D/D_480.PDF [3] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/industrial-relations-dictionary/worklife-balance-0 [4] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/working-conditions/working-time-organisation-under-review