The Government has come up with the demand for preventive measures against the coronavirus epidemic by trade unions and companies with an action guide asking them to stop working activity if there is a risk of infection by this disease in the center of work.

Businessmen and unions want to clarify with the Government what are the steps that companies should take to face the crisis of the coronavirus in the workspaces of all Spain, be they offices, means of transport, leisure facilities or services to third parties. UGT and CCOO and CEOE have asked the Ministry of Labor this morning to convene them to a table to discuss how health instructions are translated to work activity to tackle the epidemic, mainly casualties and temporary dismissals.

The head of labor relations of CEOE, Rosa Santos , has already indicated that yesterday she asked the Ministry of Labor led by Yolanda Díaz to summon social agents to discuss "mechanisms that are applied quickly for companies and workers who suspend their activity without adding a cost that could endanger the continuity of the company . "

For its part, UGT has also coordinated with CCOO to urge the Government to adopt the containment measures necessary to curb the spread of the virus and properly manage the effects of this situation when it comes to vertebrate the measures.

Although the Secretary of State for Employment, Joaquín Pérez Rey, said yesterday that his department is working on compensatory measures for the application of casualties and temporary dismissals due to the epidemic, unions and businessmen press to have them ready. In both cases, it is stressed that it is a request that is far from alarmism.

However, with preventive quarantines of 14 days as a rule to stop the expansion of the coronavirus, there is a rush to clarify under what conditions such casualties and temporary layoffs would occur. It remains to be defined whether the casualties, for example, would be a common illness or professional contingency. Or if the Temporary Employment Regulation Files (ERTE) already prepared by some companies should have a specific cause linked to the coronavirus.

With health as a priority, in all cases, the rationale for these doubts is economic since, for example, the first three days of a sick leave are the responsibility of the worker to later pay the company until day 15 of the low. If the same loss is caused by a professional contingency, the cost would be borne by the company from the first day. In ERTES, there is also the question of whether the unemployment benefit in the period of low consumes the rights accumulated by the worker.

"We are very concerned about the indirect effects of this crisis on employment. In the event that a company affected by the lack of parts and supplies decides to stop production, we already have news that they will prepare temporary employment regulation files. That will mean that workers will have to consume their unemployment benefits. We believe that the administration must create a compensation fund that covers the cost and that the workers affected keep the counter to zero of unemployment consumption, "they explain in UGT.

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  • UGT
  • CCOO
  • CEOE
  • Spain
  • Yolanda Diaz
  • Unemployment

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