A shorter 37.5-hour work week (for the same salary), wider paternity and maternity leave and a new increase in the minimum wage. But also taxes on the extra profits of energy companies and banks. These are the main points of the program in which the Socialist Party (PSOE) and the left political movement Sumar agreed to form the third government led by Pedro Sanchez.
The agreement is in line with the previous legislature, which was characterized by several reforms on labor and social justice, such as the reform that greatly reduced precarious contracts in the private sector. Cooperation between the socialists and the left has survived so far, but now he will have to deal with the real challenge posed by Sanchez’s new mandate, namely the support of autonomist and independent parties, starting with the Catalans of Esquerra Repubblicana and the Junts in Catalunya. , formations with which they continue secret political negotiations.
Taxes on short weeks and extra profits
These negotiations will not touch the crux of the programmatic agreement: a reduction in the working week “without salary reduction” from 40 hours to 37.5 hours by 2025 (a measure that will cover 12 million workers), an extension of days off for fathers and mothers and a further increase in the minimum wage. PSOE and Sumar also agreed on a “fair” tax reform that “allows banks and large energy companies to contribute to public spending”: translated, extraordinary taxes on extra profits will be preserved.
The document also includes other measures such as implementing a plan against youth unemployment, increasing the public housing stock, and reducing education from 0 to 3 years. On this last point, the government promises that all 2-year-old children will be able to benefit from school services within the next four years. The program also includes legislation to impose a legal limit on public health waiting lists
There is no shortage of ecological policies: a law on climate change should ensure a 55% reduction in emissions by 2030 and a share of renewable energy equal to 48% of the total. Following the model already made by France, Sanchez and the left agreed to reduce domestic flights for which alternative train connections are available by a maximum of two and a half hours.
catalan knot
However, Sanchez will need to gain the support of pro-autonomy and pro-independence parties to confirm himself as prime minister. Catalans in particular have stipulated amnesty for separatists convicted following Catalonia’s failed secession in 2017. According to the provisions of the constitution, if the king cannot gain the trust of Parliament by November 27, he will be sentenced to death. To dissolve assemblies and call new elections.
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
