The Government left yesterday to the step of the demand of preventive measures against the epidemic of coronavirus on the part of unions and companies. Their first response has been a guide of action in the workplace in relation to the new coronavirus in which they ask that, if preventive measures to avoid social contact are not possible and there is a serious risk of infection by this disease in the centers of work, work activity is paralyzed in the place and alternatives are proposed that allow continuing the activity or, if necessary, temporarily suspend it.

However, the businessmen, through CEOE and Cepyme, called the dissemination of this guide "serious mistake", which would generate "alertness and confusion" without correspondence with the assessment of the Ministry of Health. Pepe Álvarez, leader of UGT , criticized for his part that the guide is a "unilateral decision of the Government" without having the social agents to talk about "situations in companies due to lack of material" or what can occur anywhere in relationship with workers who stay in a hotel » , in reference to the establishment of Tenerife that was quarantined on February 24 by the positive coronavirus of a client.

"The Government, with Health Minister Salvador Illa in the lead , is acting correctly and, therefore, we do not accelerate risks that, to this day, seem to be non-existent," said Yolanda Díaz, Minister of Labor, yesterday. Díaz pointed out the activity stoppages as "perhaps" the "most extreme" measure and that, before reaching it, "there are many others." "Hopefully it doesn't have to be applied," he told Europa Press.

The Ministry of Labor stressed yesterday that the guide includes the labor framework and that the closures referred to are the worst case scenario, indicating that no alarm should be created.

Apart from the guide published yesterday, Work has more alternatives under study depending on how events unfold in the coming days. At the moment, the Government refers workers and companies to be prudent and realistic in the risk analysis to make the decisions offered by labor regulations and the Statute of Workers.

According to the document released, the decision to leave the workplace may correspond to both the company and the prevention delegates, provided there is a “serious and imminent risk” of contagion that includes an assessment based on “reliable facts” interpreted in a "restrictive" way.

These measures include the implementation of teleworking provided that it is configured temporarily and extraordinarily and without loss of professional rights for workers or costs for the use of technological means. More forceful measures are the total or partial temporary employment records .

The quarantines or medical precautions of isolation that give rise to ERTEs are considered from causes of force majeure that may allow this decision. But they must go through consultations and the "authorization of the labor authority" and its cost in terms of contributions or coverage are borne by companies and workers. Only in the case of the declaration by the National Civil Protection System of an affected area, the General Treasury of the Social Security or the Wage Guarantee Fund should take charge of the economic obligations.

Given the evolution of the disease, businessmen and unions urged the Government yesterday to clarify the legal situation in cases of casualties and dismissals. If it evolves in a negative way, many companies could have a hard time, especially those that have fewer resources, according to David Díaz, partner responsible for Labor at Baker McKenzie.

«In general terms, we believe that small and medium enterprises are not prepared to continue operating in case it is necessary to apply a prevention protocol that involves the temporary closure of work centers. Therefore, we believe that it is very possible that in the coming months there will be a significant increase in the ERTEs processed in Spain ».

This is the reason why employers and unions asked yesterday morning to clarify with the Government 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 , explained her request to the Ministry of Labor to discuss «mechanisms that are applied quickly so that companies and workers can suspend their activity without adding costs that could jeopardize the continuity of the company» .

For its part, UGT has also coordinated with CCOO to urge the Government to take containment measures and manage "without alarmism" a possible worsening of the situation.

Although the Secretary of State for Employment, Joaquín Pérez Rey , said last Tuesday that his department is working on compensatory measures for casualties and temporary dismissals due to the epidemic, unions and businessmen press to have them ready.

However, with 14-day preventive quarantines 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.

The first three days of a sick leave are the responsibility of the worker and then pay the company until the 15th day of the leave. If the same loss is caused by a professional contingency, the cost would be borne by the company from the first day. Also in the ERTEs there is a doubt about whether the unemployment benefit during the leave consumes the rights accrued by the worker.

"We are very concerned about the indirect effects of this crisis on employment, we believe that the administration must create a compensation fund that covers the cost and that the workers affected maintain the zero counter of unemployment consumption," they explain in UGT.

VOLKSWAGEN

Last an ERTE in Navarra. The management of the Volkswagen plant in Navarra said yesterday to the ERTE negotiating table that it will exhaust "all possibilities" before applying it to an eventual cut in the supply chain.

SEAT

Supply problems in April. The chairman of the Seat company committee, Matías Carnero, said yesterday that the production of vehicles at the Martorell plant (Barcelona) could be affected at the beginning of April due to lack of supplies.

VODAFONE

Telecommuting for its 2,200 employees in Madrid. Vodafone Spain plans to conduct a telecommuting drill on Friday, according to which the 2,200 employees of the company working at the Madrid headquarters will work from their homes.

FINNAIR

ERTE of 6,000 workers. The Finnish airline announced yesterday a plan to temporarily and temporarily dismiss all of its workforce in Finland, made up of more than 6,000 workers, to mitigate the financial impact caused by the coronavirus.

LUFTHANSA

150 planes on the ground. The German airline Lufthansa announced yesterday that it will leave 150 aircraft on the ground, of its fleet of 750 devices worldwide, because of the impact of the new coronavirus. Also from its subsidiaries Swiss, Eurowings and Austrian.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • Navarre
  • Yolanda Diaz
  • Volkswagen
  • Madrid
  • Salvador Illa
  • Seat
  • UGT
  • Lufthansa
  • Spain
  • Finland
  • CEOE
  • CCOO
  • Barcelona
  • Unemployment

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