Bargaining over a new collective agreement for the Spanish banking sector began in early 2003, shortly after a major round of elections of workers' representatives, which governed the composition of the union's joint bargaining commission. The unions' demands mainly concern higher pay, shorter working time and employment. It is planned that a new agreement will be signed in April.
Download article in original language : ES0304101NES.DOC
Bargaining over a new collective agreement for the Spanish banking sector began in early 2003, shortly after a major round of elections of workers' representatives, which governed the composition of the union's joint bargaining commission. The unions' demands mainly concern higher pay, shorter working time and employment. It is planned that a new agreement will be signed in April.
The bulk of the trade union elections of workers' representatives (ES9902298F) in the banking sector were held between 18 December 2002 and 31 January 2003. One of the key aspects of the elections is that they determine the trade union representation on the bargaining commission which is responsible for negotiating a new sectoral agreement for the banking industry (ES9911259N), which covers almost 116,000 workers.
The elections led to only slight changes in union representation on the bargaining commission - as indicated by table 1 below. Comfia (Federación de Servicios Financieros y Administrativos), the banking affiliate of the Trade Union Confederation of Workers’ Commissions (Comisiones Obreras, CC.OO) has the largest number of seats, followed by the Services Federation (FFederación de Servicios, FeS) of the General Workers’ Confederation (Unión General de Trabajadores, UGT) and then Fesibac, the sectoral affiliate of the General Confederation of Labour (Confederación General del Trabajo, CGT).
| Trade union | No. of union delegates elected | % of vote | % representation on bargaining commission | No. of representatives on bargaining commission |
| CC.OO | 1,760 | 40.84 | 48.43 | 6 |
| UGT | 1,174 | 27.24 | 32.30 | 4 |
| CGT | 440 | 10.21 | 12.11 | 2 |
| ELA | 96 | 2.23 | 2.37 | 1 |
| CIG | 132 | 3.06 | 3.63 | 1 |
| LAB | 48 | 1.11 | 1.16 | 1 |
| Others | - | 15.31 | - | - |
| Total | . | 100 | 100 | 15 |
Source: CC.OO-Comfia. Notes: ELA = Basque Workers' Solidarity (Eusko Langileen Alkartasuna/Sindicato de Trabajadores Vascos, ELA-STV); CIG = the Galician Union Confederation (Converxencia Intersindical Galega/Confederación Intersindical Galega); LAB = (Basque) Patriotic Workers' Commissions (Langile Abertzale Batzordeak, LAB).
The bargaining commission has been constituted and negotiations over a new sectoral agreement (the banking industry's 19th such accord) with the Spanish Banking Association (Asociación Española de Banca, AEB) began in early 2003. A settlement is scheduled for April. The main proposals of the three most representative unions - set out in table 2 below - concern higher pay, shorter working time and forms of employment. In general, the proposals are complementary and express a desire for unity of action.
| . | CC.OO | UGT | CGT |
| Pay | Improving the purchasing power of pay. | Revising pay (with an increase of 3%). Re-establishing the wage revision clause, adjusting increases to inflation. A productivity bonus of one month's extra pay in September. A profit-sharing system. | Recovery of the purchasing power lost during the four-year period of the current collective agreement. A pay increase of the Retail Prices Index (RPI) target plus one percentage point, with a wage revision clause. |
| Working time | Reduction of working time to 35 hours with Saturdays off. Respect of the agreed working time. | A 35-hour working week in continuous shifts and Saturdays off. An increase in the period of reduced working time in summer. | A reduction in annual working time, Saturdays off and systems to ensure that the working time laid down in the collective agreement is not exceeded. |
| Employment | Quality in employment: combating unstable employment, reducing subcontracting and outsourcing, and limiting use of temporary agency workers. Defending professional careers rather than 'availability'. | Combating temporary employment and converting temporary contracts into open-ended ones. Minimising outsourcing. | Rejection of the use of temporary agency work and subcontracting. Generation of direct employment by banking firms. |
| Equality | Equal opportunities for men and women | A joint commission to deal with the transposition of the 1999 law on reconciliation of work and family life (ES9911165F) . Non-discrimination against common-law marriages. Positive discrimination clauses. Prevention of bullying and sexual harassment and establishment of corresponding penalties. | . |
| Other | Regulating 'cyber-rights' (with a demand for new technologies at the service of everyone). Pension supplements and possibilities of early retirement. Improving health and safety at work. Ensuring good qualifications and promotion. Loans for all workers. Preventing trade union discrimination. | Psycho-social risk assessment and annual medical check-ups. The creation of a guide to occupational illnesses in the sector. | New pension measures. |
Source: CC.OO, UGT and CGT.
Eurofound priporoča, da to publikacijo navedete na naslednji način.
Eurofound (2003), Bargaining starts in banking sector, article.
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