1 / 12

Making labour market reform deliver more and better jobs: The Spanish case

This document discusses the labour market reforms and macroeconomic policies in the Lisbon Agenda, focusing on the Spanish economy. It analyzes the main characteristics, positive and negative aspects, and internal and external factors influencing the growth. The document also examines the structure of social dialogue, bilateral and interconfederal agreements, and the present process of social dialogue. It highlights the main topics in the social dialogue with both agreement and disagreement and presents proposals for addressing the limitations in the Spanish economy.

mmass
Download Presentation

Making labour market reform deliver more and better jobs: The Spanish case

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Labour market reforms and macro-economic policies in the Lisbon agenda Making labour market reform deliver more and better jobs: The Spanish case ETUC Brussels 20 - 21 March 2006 Jorge Aragón Comisiones Obreras (CC.OO.-Spain)

  2. The pattern of growth of the Spanish economy • Main characteristics • Positive • High rates of growth (>3% annual rate 5 years) • Increase in employment (2,7% annual) • Convergence to UE in GDP per person (93%-98% EU-25) • Surplus in the public accounts (1% surplus 2005) • Negative • High inflation (4% -2005) • Deficit in the current account balance of payments (7% GDP) • Indebtedness of families (110% income) • Internal context • High level of decentralisation (17 regional Parliaments)

  3. External factors • Positive • Favourable macroeconomic context EU • Stable rate of exchange • Low rates of interest. • Support of the structural funds of EU • Negative • Increase in the price of petrol • Low rate of growth of GDP in the main economic partners of the EU

  4. Internal Factors (I) • Positive • Increase in domestic demand • Family expenditure: consumption and investment (homes) • Widening productive capacity • Increase in the supply of labour: • Women • Immigrants • Social stability; social dialogue • Stability in the budget, compatible with: • Increase in social expenditure • Increase in public investment policies

  5. Internal factors (II) • Negative • Industrial specialisation in sectors with low levels of innovation • Low productivity • External trade deficit • Excessive protagonism of the building sector: homes • Increase in inflation • Speculation • Segmentation of the labour market • High levels of fixed-term contracts • Lack of mechanisms for the integration of immigrants

  6. Bases of social dialogue • Consensus on: • Improvement of competitiveness • Promotion of stability and quality of employment • Social Cohesion. Development of social policy • Stability and balance of public accounts • Two instruments for the agreements • Legislation • Bilateral agreements • General • Collective bargaining

  7. Structure of the social dialogue Background Bilateral agreements CC.OO.-UGT/CEOE-CEPYME since 1997 Employment stability Structuring of collective bargaining Interconfederal agreements in collective bargaining since 2003 The present process of social dialogue Tripartite Social Agreements: Declaration of social dialogue 2004 Competitivity, job stability and social cohesion Negotiation between: Government, trade unions and employers Agreements on new legislation Bipartite agreements Independent functioning of the different areas of negotiation

  8. Main topics in the social dialogue (I) • With agreement • Regularization of immigrant workers • Extrajudicial solutions for labour conflicts • Observatories for the modernisation of industrial sectors Prevention of risks and injury at the workplace • Vocational training and lifelong training • Law for dependent persons • Extension of collective agreements • Social dialogue in the Public Sector • Improvement in the functioning of labour inspection • Minimum wage • Minimum pension

  9. Main topics in the social dialogue (II) With disagreement Law for gender equality Transposition of directive on Implication of workers in the European Company Pending Reform of labour contracts Reform of the general pension scheme Statute of autonomous workers State policies for education, research and development, energy policy Transposition of the EU directive for information consulting for the workers

  10. Annual agreements on collective bargaining • /\ wages (inflation and productivity) • Clauses of wage guaranty • Promotion of employment of quality (priority) • Articulation of structure of agreements • Labour health • Equal opportunities • Promotion of employment for disabled persons • Training

  11. Diagnosis There is a direct relationship between the structure of production and the labour market The Spanish economy has strong limitations in the middle term: • * Competitivity • External trade deficit • Inflation • Low Research + Innovation • * Segmentation in labour markets • Quality of employment • Training

  12. Proposals • Take measures towards a cycle of common expansion, and take advantage of the potential of the internal market • Cooperative structural reforms (i.e. energy, infrastructures) • Avoid fiscal competition • Encourage specialization in production more based on innovation • Prevent the segmentation of labour markets and job precariousness: Promote equal opportunities and integration of immigrants • Role of social dialogue to link macroeconomic policies and the reform of the labour market

More Related