The Government has decided to postpone the debate and vote in the full Congress of the Royal Decree Law on reform of the stowage sector

The Government has decided to postpone the debate and vote in the full Congress of the Royal Decree Law on reform of the stowage sector, initially scheduled for Thursday, March 9, and against which a schedule of strikes in the Ports, according to announced the Minister of Development, Íñigo de la Serna.

With this measure, Fomento intends to give "a new opportunity" to the negotiation between employers and unions, so that an agreement between the parties leads the parliamentary groups to support a reform that is urged by Europe and may impose a sanction to Spain. At the moment, the Executive does not have support from any group of the Lower House.

The announcement of the minister takes place while the employers Anesco and the unions of stevedores (Coordinator of Workers of the Sea, CC.OO., UGT, CIG and USO) have announced that they will meet again this Wednesday, day 8, with the mediation of the president Of the CES, Marcos Peña.

The guarantee of employment and working conditions of stevedores is the main demand of unions for reform, either by subrogation of workers or by the constitution of a professional register. It is a demand that, according to Fomento, Europe does not allow inclusion in the Decree Law and that, for that reason, should be dealt with in collective bargaining.

Also, it is also done four days after a schedule of stoppages on the ports begins on Friday, which will last for two weeks, with the consequent impact on the economy.

However, De la Serna considers that the agreement "is possible" and that in this next week that grants before the validation of the reform "there is more than enough margin" for the sector to reach an agreement on the maintenance of employment.

"If there is a will to reach an agreement, and if what you really want is the guarantee of employment, and not other things like maintaining the old 'status quo' of the sector, there is more than enough room this week to achieve it," he said. Minister who also confirmed the intention of the Government to collaborate in the achievement of the pact.

Willing to help

Thus, De la Serna confirmed that the Government is ready to "help" to reach an agreement on the guarantee of jobs "articulating legal instruments with the Ministry of Employment."

"This is a gesture more of the will of the Government and its conviction that it is possible to achieve an agreement with guarantees for employment in the stowage sector," he stressed de la Serna before participating in an event on youth mobility.

Thus, the holder of the Fomento set the next seven days as the deadline for industry players to reach an agreement on the reform, which in turn considers that the parliamentary groups to support it to approve it in plenary.

Call to political groups

"It is important that both political groups and unions are aware that, as everyone knows, the agreement is possible if there is a will," he insisted.

"If there is no agreement on the maintenance of employment this week, then it is that something is sought, that there is no will to achieve it or that what is intended is to maintain the 'status quo' that the sector had so far "Reiterated the head of Development.

"This would also save many millions of euros in the pockets of the Spanish," he added, referring to the sanction that the EU Court can impose on Spain for contravening its rules with current stowage legislation. It is 134,000 euros per day until it adapts, which would add to the 21.3 million already accumulated since the first pronouncement, made in December 2014.

The stevedoring conflict coincides with the visit made to Spain by EU Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc who, according to the minister, "is aware of the evolution of the matter. In addition, he asserts that he has ratified what he already communicated a few days ago by letter, that is, the need to approve when before the reform in the legal terms in which it is to avoid such a fine.

Negotiation in progress

The unions of dockers and employers Anesco will meet again next Wednesday to resume the process of collective bargaining with the mediation of the president of the Economic and Social Council (CES), Marcos Peña, confirmed today Efe sources of the two parties.

Last February 28, stevedores and employers agreed to open a formal negotiation process, although the unions decided to keep the call for strikes.

However, on Thursday, the unions suspended two of the nine days of work stoppage, today and Wednesday, in the hope of knowing if the real statute reform bill is finally validated next Thursday in the Congress.