Spanish govt and union close to cross-border unemployment agreement

The Spanish trade union Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) says an agreement with Spain’s government to address the loss of income experienced by some unemployed cross-border workers is close. 

Since the provisional implementation of the UK/EU treaty on Gibraltar, cross-border workers have to claim unemployment benefit in Gibraltar until that entitlement is exhausted first, then claim in Spain for the remainder of their entitlement under Spanish law. 

CCOO argues that unemployment benefit payments in Gibraltar are considerably lower than those available in Spain, resulting in reduced income for Spanish workers affected by the new arrangements. 

The union’s representatives in the Campo de Gibraltar asked Spain’s minister for labour, Yolanda Díaz, to introduce measures to ensure that these workers retained economic conditions equivalent to those they enjoyed before the treaty with Campo general secretary Manuel Triano saying the ministry was working on a mitigating formula. 

He added that an agreement was close, with some details still requiring resolution to avoid difficulties during implementation. 

The union considers the formula being discussed, which could be put into force in the coming days, would address one of the problems associated with the new treaty which it otherwise has welcomed for improving equality of labour rights for cross-border workers and reduces friction at the border. 

Once the unemployment benefit issue has been resolved, the CCOO said it would focus on promoting a mechanism to address imbalances in pension entitlements for cross-border workers.