Metalworking, with over 1 million employees, is a key sector in the Spanish economy, and also the industry where collective bargaining plays the most important role. This feature outlines the views of the metalworking sectoral federation of the CC.OO trade union confederation on the industry's
In May 2002, the Ministry of Education presented draft legislation on 'education quality', the final stage in a set of reforms of the education and training system. The most controversial points of the proposed law include: a requirement for students to choose their educational 'itinerary' at the
Spanish trade unions have called a 24-hour general strike on 20 June 2002, mainly triggered by opposition to a recent government reform of the unemployment insurance system, which threatens the benefit of unemployed people who do not accept the offer of a 'suitable job'. This is the first general
In February 2002, Spain's CEOE employers' organisation issued a report examining the development of new information and communication technologies in the Spanish and European economies, and proposing measures to develop the 'information society' in the future. This issue, which is of enormous
April 2002 saw publication of the report of a commission set up by the Spanish government to examine a reform of the system of personal income tax. The report proposes a reduction in tax rates and in the number of tax brackets, along with various measures for families and children. While supported
In 2002, Spanish trade unions have been raising the issue of the problems faced by domestic workers. Work in Spain's domestic service sector is mainly done by women, and is increasingly becoming the main form of integration into the labour market for female immigrants. Domestic workers are covered
In Spain, there is a complex system of different forms of retirement, including retirement at the normal age, early retirement and 'pre-retirement'. This feature examines the various forms of pre-retirement - whereby older workers workers give up their jobs and receive compensation, rights to social
In April 2002, Spain's central social partner organisations - CEOE and CEPYME for employers and CC.OO and UGT for trade unions - issued a joint statement on collective bargaining in the wake of their December 2001 agreement laying down guidelines for bargaining in 2002. The social partners'
In 2001-2, trade unions in the Catalonia region of Spain have taken a number of initiatives aimed at examining and criticising the level of unstable employment. CC.OO's Catalan organisation has drawn up a 'blacklist' of the 200 most unstable companies in the region, using a 'barometer of employment
In March 2002, Spain's UGT trade union confederation held its 38th confederal congress. Cándido Méndez was re-elected as general secretary as part of an expanded executive committee, and delegates approved various new demands in areas such as working time reduction, employment stability and social