In December 2004, Spain's Constitutional Court ruled that current regulations on the contributions required to obtain social security benefits discriminate against part-time workers, and also constitute indirect discrimination against women.
In January 2005, Spain's Socialist government increased minimum pensions by between 4.5% and 8.07%, as part of a commitment to raise pensions by 26% during its term of office. This followed increases enacted in 2004 by the previous People's Party administration, based on an earlier agreement signed
A new law seeking to provide an integrated system of protection for women who are victims of gender-based violence was adopted in Spain in December 2004. Among other areas, the law includes a number of measures of direct significance for employment - for example, women facing gender-based violence
In October 2004, the Spanish government issued a new regulation on immigration, which came into force at the beginning of 2005, with the aim of directing immigration towards legal channels. It establishes an 'extraordinary' process of legalisation of registered immigrant workers with work contracts
In late 2004, the Spanish social partners were considering a renewed intersectoral agreement providing guidelines for lower-level collective bargaining in 2005, similar to those concluded in the three previous years. Both sides have stated their criteria for bargaining in 2005 - though employers and
In November 2004, the chair of the Spanish Confederation of Employers' Organisations (CEOE) set out a number of strategic recommendations for the coming year. CEOE makes an unfavourable diagnosis of the competitiveness of the Spanish economy and calls for more flexibility, lower taxes and reduced
In October 2004, the regional government and social partners signed an agreement aimed at improving employment and boosting economic growth in the Community of Madrid. The aims are to: move towards full employment; improve the quality, stability and productivity of work; increase the involvement of
In October 2004, the CC.OO trade union confederation assessed the renewed tripartite social dialogue that has been under way under the new Socialist government since July, and set out a number of short-, medium- and long-term objectives.
In autumn 2004, workers at Spain's publicly-owned Izar shipyards have taken strike action as part of a wave of protests over a rescue plan for the troubled group. This will involve job losses, the division of operations into military and civil shipyards, partial privatisation and the possible
Recent years have seen changes in the system of occupational classification laid down in Spanish collective agreements, with a tendency towards greater flexibility, functional mobility and multi-skilling. Drawing on recent research, this article outlines the situation in 2004.