The Second Vice-President of the Government and Minister of Labor, Yolanda Díaz, stressed that Inditex’s “articulation pact in industrial matters” is “already ahead of government forecasts” in terms of reducing working hours , a “very good measure” since “reference companies, like this one, help others to join in this task.
Díaz visited the textile giant’s headquarters in Arteixo (La Coruña) on Monday “as I do with absolute normality in other sectors” to “learn first-hand the production model” of clothes “that leave Galicia for the world.” He thanked both the company’s management and the works council for this opportunity, with whom he also met and discussed “many situations, in particular the reduction of working hours”.
During this meeting, the vice-president verified that the said articulation pact, “already signed”, is “compliant” with the social dialogue table. “I am convinced that there are sufficient reasons to reach an agreement, not least because it will improve productivity.”
According to him, the next table call will focus on a support plan for small businesses, which could have greater difficulties in reducing the 40 hours per week to the 37.5 hours proposed by the executive. The aim is for the working day “to be the same, whatever the size of companies or sectors”. And if he defended the “absolute discretion” with which he is carrying out the negotiations, he recognized that among the measures of the plan there would be “bonuses”.
The vice president insisted that her department’s work “is about living better, and I think that’s very important.” She is convinced that “today there is enough productivity for people to work a little less” and that it is time “to balance lifespan with better wages”. It is for this reason that he will convene the commission of experts “in a short time” to continue to increase the inter-professional minimum wage.
Flexible sick leave: “No rights will be lost. »
Díaz wanted to send a message of “calm” on sick leave flexibility. “There will be no modification that would worsen what is today a fundamental right of workers, not subject to conditions of pluriactivity or partiality.” “Workers pay contributions to have the right to health and we do not play with health,” he added, before emphasizing that he worked in a company “which devotes part of its funds to prevention “. “The government is not going to play with the rights of all of you,” he responded, speaking directly to journalists.
The vice-president also reacted to the legal change that will allow the reduction of the sentences of ETA prisoners, which she limited to the “transposition” of a European directive unanimously approved, “including the extreme RIGHT”. And on the occasion of the anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel, he issued an “absolute condemnation” both of this action and of “what we experienced in Iran”, but also of the “genocide that we live daily in Palestine.” For the vice-president, “neither legality nor international law can be put into perspective”, which is why she calls for “move forward” in terms of sanctions against countries which do not comply.
