Spain's employment minister, Yolanda Díaz, said on Thursday that there will be benefit for employees with 'fijo discontinuo' contracts due to the loss of much of the tourism season and that ERTE benefit will remain at 70% even after six months.
These are among issues which have been agreed, the minister stated, with the ERTE furlough scheme - as it currently stands - due to end in under a week's time. Díaz insisted that agreement on the ERTE extension is "close" and that her ministry "is not going to leave the table" until the agreement is reached. "It seems to me that we are close. It is true that there are nuances, but I believe we are close."
All companies which need protection will have it, she added. It is already well understood which sectors have been most affected, especially those in the tourism industry, but companies which "surround" these sectors also need protection. In this regard, she referred to supermarkets, bookshops, shoe shops, among others. "The perimeter must be protected. It is very difficult, as there is a risk that some activity might be left out."
Díaz stressed that it has never been the intention to only protect certain sectors, and she expressed her particular solidarity for the nightlife sector, "which is having a terrible time". She has asked for plans to be designed for the leisure and culture sectors, which form "a fundamental part of the economy and of our lives".
The minister made clear that there is enough money to maintain ERTE, thanks to European funds.