Background information

The government and social partners have signed the Agreement for Economic Reactivation and Employment, a new agreement that lays the foundations to speed up the economic recovery and create quality jobs following the crisis caused by COVID-19. This agreement comes from a vocation to achieve sound, inclusive and sustainable growth as soon as possible.

Content of measure

Through this framework agreement the government and social partners commit to urgently work towards strengthening the economic recovery and job creation through social dialogue. The agreement does not contain any specific measure, but sets up to 12 policy areas where social partners and the government will negotiate to seek agreements. Some of the policy areas include:

• The reincorporation to companies of those workers affected by temporary lay-off plans stemming from the COVID-19 crisis, prioritising capacity adjustments through working hours over job numbers;
• Develop effective mechanisms for training and new skills for workers, particularly in the field of the digital economy and technology field;
• New law for remote work;
• Modernisation of labour law to minimise the impact on jobs of future crises, and to update active employment policies;
• A pact for Industry that allows the country to undertake its essential re-industrialisation with the aim of diversifying, balancing and modernising the productive structure. This includes boosting the "green" transition of all sectors, digitalise the economy and support the development of the social economy and the care system;
• Guarantee the long-term sustainability of the public pension system, while boosting effective measures to uncover the black economy.

Use of measure

Not applicable.

Contents

• Employment retention
• Social protection, incl. pension
• Telework
• Training and employability

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Applies to all workers	Applies to all businesses	Applies to all citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Trade unions Employers' organisations	No special funding required

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Agreed (outcome) incl. social partner initiative	Agreed (outcome) incl. social partner initiative
Form	Direct consultation outside a formal body	Direct consultation outside a formal body

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• Social partners jointly
• Main level of involvement: Peak or cross-sectoral level

Involvement

Social partners were involved in the negotiation of the tripartite agreement at the request of government. The social partners signing the pact were: the most representative employer organisation at national level CEOE; and the two most representative trade union confederations at national level, UGT and CCOO.

Views and reactions

Social partners believe this agreement should help to build a broader political consensus on the policies to recover the economy after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sources

• 26 June 2020: Royal Decree 24/2020 (www.boe.es)
• 03 July 2020: Tripartite Agreement for Economic Reactivation and Employment (www.lamoncloa.gob.es)