Inspections by the Balearics employment ministry will be increased by 6.5% next year, as the government seeks to root out conditions of job insecurity and those that are potentially harmful to health and safety.
The commission for work and social security inspection that has met at the regional ministry for employment has agreed that the ministry will undertake over 46% of inspection service requirements in 2016, while the state will assume 49% so as to balance the planning between regional and central governments. The remainder have yet to be determined. The total number of inspections is, therefore, set at present at 17,189, of which the regional ministry will undertake 7.736, with 1,786 of them specifically targeted at job insecurity, which will be an increase of 88% compared with the current year.
In addition, there are to be four campaigns: control of temporary appointments and potential contractual fraud; control of the hours of work; control of part-time contracts; and limitations on overtime. The latter two of these are not at present included in the region’s planning.
Actions against work contract fraud will go up from 750 to 870, while the other three campaigns will benefit from a combined increase of 716 (from 200). With regard to health and safety, particular attention is to be paid to physical overexertion, musculoskeletal risks and workers in handling, such as at the airport, and in the health sector, with a 144% rise in inspections.
There will also be a 45% increase in investigating minor accidents on account of what are high accident rates in the Balearics. Furthermore, the government is to prioritise the labour integration of people with disabilities through 100 inspections as well as through 90 inspections related to gender equality. The work inspectorate is to also draw up an agreement with the employment service in the Balearics (SOIB) via which there will be 80 inspections of records related to training that will be reviewed by the specialist professional training unit.
The Balearics, as a consequence of this, will be one of the first regions of Spain where training programmes and courses will be audited. The minister for employment, Iago Negueruela, points out that there will be second special plan (following this summer’s) against job insecurity. This is currently being drawn up and will, as was the case this year, be reinforced by additional inspectors from the mainland.