This reform is a milestone to be met by Spain for the disbursement of the fourth payment of European funds, an amount of 10,021 million

MADRID, 5 May. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Ministry of Labor and Social Economy will meet tomorrow, Monday afternoon, with social agents to address the reform of the level of unemployment assistance, at a table that is convened more than two months after the last meeting between the Government and unions. and employers.

This Monday's table, convened at 4:00 p.m., will try to advance the unemployment benefit reform, one of the milestones linked to the fourth disbursement of the 'Next Generation EU' funds and to which the Executive must respond before the 20th. May, at which time the two-month extension that Spain agreed with Brussels for the evaluation of this disbursement, which amounts to an amount of 10,021 million euros, ends.

Almost two weeks before this deadline expires and with the Government open to the possibility of requesting a new extension, the Secretary of State for Labor, Joaquín Pérez Rey, will meet with social agents to try to make progress on the matter, after An attempt was made to reform the unemployment benefit at the beginning of the year, but the reform did not succeed due to the votes against Podemos, PP and Vox in the Congress of Deputies.

The main obstacle for the purple training to give its approval to the reform proposed by the Ministry of Labor is the one that has to do with the changes that the reform that declined makes in relation to the contribution of those over 52 years of age.

According to it, to the recipients of the subsidy for those over 52 years of age that is granted on June 1, 2024 or on a later date, Social Security will contribute for the retirement contingency during the receipt of the same in the following way: in 2024 The contribution base will be equivalent to 120% of the minimum base of the General Regime in force at any time; in 2025 it will be equivalent to 115%; in 2026 to 110%, and in 2027, to 105%. If the subsidy was granted before June 1, 2024, the contribution base will continue to be 125%.

For Podemos, these changes represent a "cut" in future pensions for retirees. However, Labor maintained that this progressive reduction in the contribution was a consequence of the rise in the interprofessional minimum wage, which has increased by 54% since 2018, so this change was necessary so that an "over-quotation" does not occur in people. people over 52 years of age who receive the subsidy.

Regarding the issue, the Secretary of Social Protection and Public Policies of the Workers' Commissions (CCOO), Carlos Bravo, assured a few weeks ago that Labor had proposed to social agents a measure that would make it possible to maintain the contribution base of those over 52 years of age and link it to the evolution of the unemployment rate, although he stressed that it is a proposal raised only "verbally" and not "in writing."

For her part, the Minister of Labor and Social Economy, Yolanda Díaz, has reiterated on numerous occasions that the agreement on the unemployment benefit reform is "difficult", but that the Ministry she heads wants to "seek an agreement at the table." "because this situation "is always much better than an imposition."

Likewise, the UGT and CCOO unions have insisted that "it is possible" to reach an agreement on unemployment benefits and that this consensus can arrive "before summer."

For the general secretary of CCOO, Unai Sordo, the unemployment benefit bill is an "urgent" measure that people are "waiting for", so it "would not be understood" that a political majority could not be "raised" enough to get him through.

However, he stressed that to get the reform to see the light, there must be "a political majority", because otherwise it is "a bit nonsense." "This agreement, of course, has to be accompanied by a sufficient political perimeter to validate the bill," he explained.

This same position is maintained by the general secretary of UGT, Pepe Álvarez, who believes that the agreement to reform the subsidy should be closed "in not long" and, furthermore, with "certain guarantees" so that it then receives "sufficient support." in Congress for approval.

For its part, the CEOE has been open to meeting with unions and the Government to advance this issue, but has criticized Díaz on repeated occasions for having the "final result" of the social dialogue tables "already marked."

On the other hand, after the last social dialogue table between the Government, employers and unions last February, UGT and CCOO confirmed that Labor would carry out the unemployment benefit reform via bill and would eliminate partial subsidies so that beneficiaries can collect the subsidy in full, thus meeting a "unanimous" demand from unions and employers.

From UGT they celebrated the Government's decision to carry out the reform via a bill, because it will enable "greater negotiation" with the parliamentary groups and not an emergency procedure, like the one used the previous time, when it declined in its parliamentary processing.

In relation to partial subsidies, Labor suggested that social agents put an end to partial subsidies, those that workers receive if their last employment relationship was part-time and that, due to having a shorter working day, are lower in amount than those received by full-time workers.

From CCOO they valued this proposal as a measure that will have "an obvious gender impact", since this situation fundamentally affected women.

However, after the last round table held at the end of February, UGT and CCOO indicated that progress had been "insufficient" and regretted that Labor had not heeded union proposals to expand subsidy coverage to those under 45 years of age or to improve the subsidies for those over 52 years of age.

Therefore, this Monday afternoon, Labor, unions and employers have a new opportunity to advance at a table to which the payment of more than 10,000 million euros of European funds is subject.