Reyes Maroto, the national minister for industry, trade and tourism, announced yesterday that the government has approved the extension of 50% social security discounts for "fijo discontinuo" employment contracts. This extension will apply to October and December; the bonus already existed for November, February and March.
By doing this, the government hopes to encourage active employment and recruitment, especially in the Balearics and the Canaries. It is one of a series of measures in response to the Thomas Cook collapse that will be discussed at a special committee of ministers today. Stressing the importance of maintaining employment, Maroto said that there will be more labour-related measures.
The committee will be addressing air connectivity and proposals to reinforce this. Discussions are already being had with airlines, and on Tuesday Jet2 confirmed that it will be making available an additional 168,000 seats for flights between the UK and the Canaries. This will bring its total number of seats for October to March to some 800,000.
Maroto added that the committee will be studying financial instruments to help companies affected by the collapse. Labour, air connectivity and financial measures are all part of a "comprehensive emergency plan" that the government is putting in place.