Spain: Unions agree to anti-working class labour reforms

After 14 months of negotiations, during which lorry drivers, fishermen, miners, dockers and SEAT autoworkers have been involved in bitter struggle, the unions have virtually conceded all the PSOE’s demands. In return, the unions gain greater power to control unofficial strikes and specific rights to represent subcontracted workers and have premises within the main company from which to conduct their business.

The “social partners” are the Stalinist-led Trade Union Confederation of Workers’ Commissions (Comisiones Obreras, CC.OO), the PSOE-led General Confederation of Labour (Confederación General del Trabajo, CGT), the Confederation of Employers and Industries of Spain (Confederación Española de Organizaciones Empresariales, CEOE) and the Confederation of Small and Medium-sized Employers (Confederación Española de la Pequeña y Mediana Empresa).

The labour reforms are to be submitted to parliament for ratification later this month. Published as Royal Decree-Law 5/2006, the agreement has been described as “fundamental to promoting a model of balanced and lasting economic growth based on the competitiveness of the companies, growth of productivity and social cohesion” as required by the Lisbon Strategy.

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