Non-EU workers must prove four years of to access the general quota
Exceptionally, there are 300 workers who will be able to move to the general quota
Non-EU workers who want to come to work in the country will have to prove four years of experience again to access the general quota from April 1st. This is how the proposal to modify the regulation of the general quota of workers was submitted last Tuesday morning to the Economic and Social Council, which, in principle, will be approved by the Council of Ministers.
The Minister of the Presidency, Economy, Work and Housing, Conxita Marsol, recalled that this regulation had been approved in October last year in order to make the conditions of people who came to work in Andorra more flexible at the level of experience, as well as complying with the needs and demands of the sectors. In addition, the regulations allowed the experience to be reduced to one season in the country in order to be eligible for the general regime.
During the session, what was decided was to return to the old system and, therefore, from April 1st, four years of experience will have to be proven to work at the general quota. The minister detailed that these years can be credited in different ways: «They can be three years in your country and one season in Andorra, two seasons in Andorra and two in your country, or three seasons in the Principality and one year in your country».
Marsol explained that the reason why it was decided that the four years of experience were necessary again is because, on the one hand, there is a need to provide a service of higher quality and with more experience, but also because «it is a reaction to the growth of this country».
However, the minister pointed out that in the last year, the Principality has grown by 4,000 people, which makes it difficult
to «continue to take on these numbers of people because the housing market, the infrastructures and the general situation of the country». This modification of the regulation has been discussed with the different associations of the sector, which have this worker profile, emphasizing that «everyone has understood that it was necessary to take this step».
Bearing in mind that the old regulation was from October last year and that, in the case of some recruitments that have been made for this season in which the employers had communicated to their workers that they could continue to host to the general quota, an exceptionality has been put in place to sol
ve this case: «There are 300 workers who will be able to move to the general quota on the basis of a season of experience», said Marsol. In this sense, the minister warned that the people who request this transfer will have to continue working for the same company and, therefore, «they will not be able to change sectors». From the CEA and the business sector as a whole, it has been requested that this exception of 300 workers can be extended up to 30% in case of need, although Marsol did not advance whether the proposal will be favorable or not, it remember that in the summer a new quota will be opened again and, therefore, «if any company has a shortfall it will also be able
The president of the CEA emphasized the need to have an additional 30% to reach 390 workers
to cover it».
From the point of view of the employer, the president of the CEA, Gerard Cadena, stated that the will of the business community is that the exceptionality of the workers who will be able to stay in Andorra with only one season of experience reaches the 400 people instead of 300. However, it affected the need to have this additional 30% in case of need and thus be placed on top of the 390 workers. If this demand is finally favorable «we would come to find a match between the real needs that we had foreseen and the quota that we can give», he indicated.
In turn, the Secretary General of the USdA, Gabriel Ubach, reiterated that his participation in the CES meeting this Tuesday once again focused on the problem of housing, a crisis that «is delaying and delaying’ and for which there is still no data available. «What we see is that we have already eaten up almost six months of this year and we only have three more years to be able to solve the problem», so, he added, «we see that this will not progress». In the same vein, he criticized the Government’s «mix of concepts» with social flats, which are intended for people with difficulties, and official protection or affordable rental flats, which, according to Ubach, the country needs more.
DEMONSTRATION OF MAY 1ST However,
/ Ubach confirmed the demonstration that will take place next May 1st jointly between the unions and the Coordinator for a Decent Housing. Precisely,
he explained that the procedure «is already underway» and that there are some initial meetings to establish the exact schedule and route. In addition, it was also used to prepare the popular legislative initiative (ILP) that we want to launch, a work that we later want to extrapolate to the parliamentary groups «so that they can also look at it and make it their own».
In this sense, the trade unionist once again criticized that housing is an issue that «does not concern» the Government nor «the parliamentary groups of the opposition», which, for the moment, have not taken a position in favor of the protest. The concentration, however, will also serve to demonstrate for other existing problems in the country such as wages, pensions or the health system. «The Government is letting the apples rot in the basket», he criticized.
«There is a need to provide a higher quality service, but it is also a reaction to the growth of the country»
Gerard Cadena PRESIDENT OF THE CEA
«If it is favorable, we would find a match between the needs that we had foreseen and the quota that we can give»