Labour stresses that all mechanisms are in place to protect the productive fabric and workers in the wake of the DANA

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, during the meeting of the crisis committee to monitor the effects of the DANA (Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la Bellacasa)

The Secretary of State for Employment, Joaquín Pérez Rey, has appeared at a press conference at Moncloa Palace to report on the content of the meeting.

Pérez Rey guarantees the Executive's support: "The Government and the Ministry of Work and Social Economy are with the Valencian people and with Valencian workers and companies, and are absolutely committed to ensuring that the productive system recovers and companies can continue their activity as soon as possible, and that the workers affected by this tragedy have the most important protection we are capable of providing".

During the press conference, the Secretary of State for Employment detailed the "rapid employment shield" set up by the Government in the second Royal Decree-law approved to respond to the effects of the DANA in Valencia and the rest of the affected areas, after holding meetings with the social partners in Valencia and Castilla-La Mancha.

Force majeure ERTE

The Secretary of State for Employment, Joaquín Pérez Rey, reports on the meeting of the crisis committee to monitor the effects of the DANA, chaired by the head of the Executive, Pedro Sánchez | Pool Moncloa/Fernando Calvo

The rapid action plan for work has been set up to "protect companies and workers" in the wake of the DANA catastrophe. To this end, the force majeure ERTEs, which have been structurally incorporated into the legislation since the labour reform, have been deployed for companies and workers based in the municipalities affected by the DANA. The latest available data, updated today, together with the Regional Government of Valencia, show that almost 16,000 workers employed by around 1,200 companies are already protected under the force majeure ERTE system.

This force majeure ERTE protection is addressed at the affected areas and at all the companies and workers that have been indirectly affected by the DANA. Any other areas beyond those hit by the DANA that have been indirectly affected by the tragedy due, for example, to a lack of suppliers or workers being unable to go to work, will thereby also be protected by the force majeure ERTEs.

The coverage of the ERTEs involves the temporary suspension of the employment relationship or a reduction of the working day due to force majeure; the protection of unemployed workers, paying 70% of the regulatory base, which is to be considered as a period of contribution (without using up unemployment benefit and without loss of income due to the passage of time), and a 100% exemption from Social Security contributions for companies.

Paid leave

A second block of measures is also included to ensure that the only priority for workers affected by the DANA is physical security and a return to normality. For the first time, non-recoverable paid leave is also included. The workers concerned will be entitled to this non-recoverable paid leave in a number of cases, such as impossibility of relocation, death of loved ones, home repairs, loss of belongings or documents, and care. Workers can take leave for the death of a family member due to the DANA for a period of up to five days after the funeral.

Extraordinary MeCuida Plan and teleworking

The MeCuida Plan implemented for the pandemic and since improved has also been recovered, with the adaptation of the working day or a special reduction for duty of care due to exceptional circumstances related to the DANA. Telecommuting has also become mandatory as the preferred form of organisation. In this regard, if there is no possibility of adaptation and workers cannot go to the workplace, they will be exempted from work.

In addition, the Labour Inspection Services have opened 80 cases against companies for requiring the presence of workers in situations of weather alerts: "No one can risk their life or their health to go to work," Joaquín said. Pérez Rey.

50 million domestic workers and employment schemes

The Secretary of State for Employment pointed out that on this occasion the employment shield also protects domestic workers, giving them access to contributory unemployment benefits with no minimum contribution requirements. To speed up reconstruction, the Government has also approved employment plans worth €50 million for the 78 affected municipalities to hire unemployed people registered with the public employment services. The Ministry of Labour will hold meetings next week in Valencia to gather information from local administrations in the area.

Non official translation