Background information

The Council of Ministers has given the green light to the Royal Decree Law for the defense of employment and economic reactivation and for the protection of self-employed workers, which includes the extension of the benefits of the Temporary Employment Regulation Files (ERTE) until 28 February 2022, in order to extend this social and employment protection measure that has proven to be transcendental in the face of the pandemic.

The new Royal Decree Law transfers the VI Social Agreement in Defense of Employment reached between the Third Vice Presidency and the Ministry of Labor and Social Economy; the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migrations; the trade union organizations CCOO and UGT and the business organizations CEOE and CEPYME.

Content of measure

This measure constitutes a new extension until February 28, 2022 of the exceptional mechanism of the Temporary Employment Regulation Files (ERTE), which have protected more than 550,000 companies and 3,617,000 workers in the adverse economic context caused by the health crisis.

With this law, a new phase begins in the ERTE, which until now had been automatically renewed. From now on, training becomes a priority mechanism for the sustainability of employment.

In line with the actions that are being carried out in Europe in this matter, the Royal Decree-Law establishes instruments to encourage training, which will be the key to accessing Social Security exemptions for companies. Credit for training in small companies, which traditionally have had obstacles to access this mechanism, is significantly increased.

Use of measure

No data available.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Applies to all workers	Does not apply to businesses	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Social partners jointly	National funds

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	Any other form of consultation, institutionalised (as stable working groups or committees) or informal	Any other form of consultation, institutionalised (as stable working groups or committees) or informal

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

• No involvement
• Main level of involvement: Peak or cross-sectoral level

Involvement

The new Royal Decree Law transfers the VI Social Agreement in Defense of Employment reached between the Third Vice Presidency and the Ministry of Labor and Social Economy; the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migrations; the trade union organizations CCOO and UGT and the business organizations CEOE and CEPYME.

All social partners agreed on the need to renew the agreement, but differed as to the duration of renewal and the specific content of some of the measures accompanying the initiative.

Views and reactions

Since the beginning of the pandemic, trade unions, employers and the government have agreed on the need to put in place a mechanism to support business and workers through the extension of temporary lay-offs. This has been the sixth negotiated renewal.

Social partners are accordingly very supportive of the new agreement, especially of the stronger training component included in this agreement.

Sources

• 28 September 2021: Royal Decree Law 18/2021 (www.boe.es)