Madrid (EFE).- The Second Vice President and Minister of Labour, Yolanda Díaz, this Thursday claimed Madrid as “the capital of social dialogue” in Europe and pointed out that the future of the European Union involves “ending relations of precariousness in the labor market”.
“We are going to turn Madrid into the capital of social dialogue”, assured the vice president upon her arrival at the informal meeting of Ministers of Labor and Social Affairs (EPSCO) that she presides over and takes place this Thursday and tomorrow Friday at the headquarters of the Bank of Spain in Madrid.
Díaz has indicated that the community presidency that Spain holds this second semester will serve the “very important” task of continuing the work files opened within the European social dialogue, in reference to the negotiation between European employers and unions in matters of remote work and digital disconnection.
It is an agreement that the European social partners have been negotiating since 2022 and could be ratified in September, which would give rise to the first directive endorsed by social dialogue in 13 years.
“We are going to undertake a whole battery of work in the presidency that favors stable and quality work within the European Union,” defended the head of Labor, who thus referred to initiatives such as the development of the directive on workers in digital platforms.
Labor reform and increases in the SMI
Díaz has celebrated that “it is the first time that Spain plays an important role in the field of the world of work” thanks to the labor reform, to “lead” the increases in the interprofessional minimum wage (SMI) and promote the European directive on minimum wages and thanks to the “rider law”, from which, according to the minister, the directive that the European Commission has proposed on this matter “drinks”.
“This is the first time that Spain plays a decisive role and inspires the European Union”, summed up the Minister of Labor.
Likewise, the vice-president has defended the minimum wage as a “tool to fight against working poverty” and has advocated continuing to raise wages in Europe as a whole and “particularly” in Spain.
Regarding the European directive on transparency in working conditions, approved in 2019 and that Spain has not yet transposed into its legal system, Díaz has pointed out that the Government “is working on it” because it is a “fundamental directive for workers”.
Asked about the statements of the president of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, about the economic and labor reality of Spain, the leader of Sumar has assured that “in politics not everything is valid” and that the popular candidate “is lying” when accusing the Government to “manipulate” the unemployment data.
“What Mr. Feijóo is demonstrating is a complete ignorance of the labor market in Spain,” the vice president has settled.