The CES seeks representation of workers within companies
The aim of the Government, as well as of employers and unions, is to establish collective agreements
Last Friday, the Economic and Social Council restarted the negotiations closed at the end of last year, with the aim of continuing to discuss the revaluation of wages. In this sense, the main topic of the meeting was to put on the table the possibility of companies having representation of their workers, for the purpose of being able to negotiate collective agreements, which could lead to the modification of some point of the Labor Relations Law. This was indicated by the Minister of the Presidency, Economy, Work and Housing, Conxita Marsol, in statements
To revalue salaries, the CASS will facilitate the base salary separated from indicators such as overtime
following the meeting: «From the Government we will try to explain to the workers what this representation consists of, which will not have any consequences and will be good for everyone. We must encourage them to represent their sector or company».
At the same time, and with a view to dealing with this issue, the unions and employers will meet outside the CES and, once they have worked on it more, they will present it inside it. «If they need a technician to talk more carefully, the Government will take care of paying for it», she explained, explaining that the ideal would be to be able to count on this agreement during the next year. In this way, and as Marsol pointed out, the intention is that the Executive does not have to intervene at the time of setting salary increases or revaluations: «The Government is responsible for setting the minimum salary, the rest is «must be give through sectoral or business agreements», adding that this fact «would bring us into the normality of a country».
Currently, about six companies in the country have this collective, while about three or four are in the process of having it. «They are very few, but it must be taken into account that the structure of an Andorran company has few workers and, therefore, it is more difficult for there to be this representation or need», said the owner of the Labor
portfolio, emphasizing that most companies have an approximate average of one to five workers. «There are very few companies with more than 100 people, but that doesn’t
mean we have to try to get them to enter anyway».
With regard to the different work sectors, the CES agreed «to be clear about wages according to the
sector in question, because doing so in general terms can end up affecting». For this reason, CASS was asked to separate base wages from other indicators such as overtime
or bonuses, with the aim of achieving this revaluation according to the work sector. The meeting also served to expose the data of employment taken from the past 2023. According to Marsol, about 2,000 job offers were thrown on the market every month, although the level of demands remains very low, with approximately 300 people. «We have to influence this issue and find out why we haven’t just found them jobs. Possibly, one of the causes is that some of these people have disability problems, although we have support programs». However, of the 300 people mentioned, 68 have already found work in the private sectors.
The meeting was also attended by, among others, Gabriel Ubach, general secretary of the Trade Union, and Gerard Cadena, president of the Business Confederation. While the first made it very clear that «we must try to find solutions so that these workers who are company delegates have more protection and a union behind them», Cadena affirmed that the representation of workers by employers is a fact which will lead to «a series of problems, such as staff turnover», stressing that the fact that the Government intervenes with wages «will encourage more people to say that it is necessary to find these collective or sectoral agreements».
Conxita Marsol MINISTER OF THE PRESIDENCY, WORK, ECONOMY AND HOUSING
«We must encourage workers to represent their sector or company, as it will have no consequences»
Gerard Cadena PRESIDENT OF THE BUSINESS CONFEDERATION
«The fact that the Government intervenes with wages will encourage more people to say that it is necessary to find these collective agreements»
«We must find solutions so that workers who are company representatives have more protection and a union behind them»