Calviño’s departure leaves Díaz free for his “social plan”

2023-12-10 20:04:19

Nadia Calviño is not the only one to celebrate her departure to Luxembourg, as president of the European Investment Bank (EIB), where she will earn 380,000 euros a year. Her greatest nemesis in the Council of Ministers, the labor vice president and leader of Sumar, Yolanda Díaz, also celebrates getting rid of the only authorized voice in the Government that dared publicly to contradict her. Most of the time, with indifference, as if Calviño were amending a lesson to a less-than-experienced student.

The latest disagreement arose a few days ago over the unemployment benefit reform, committed to Brussels, an aid that all workers who do not have the right to collect unemployment receive, for example, those who have ceased their work activity, but have not reached the required 360 days of contributions.

Calviño was betting on reducing the subsidy and tightening the access conditions. Díaz on the contrary. The reform should be ready by the end of the year, but the clashes between the two vice presidents have left the matter at a standstill while accusations rained down from Díaz to Calviño for trying to “cut rights.”

Calviño’s departure to the EIB, which should take place at the beginning of 2024, leaves the way clear for Díaz, who gains ground unless Sánchez places someone capable of stopping Díaz’s spending at the head of the Economy.

Meanwhile, Labor resumes tomorrow with the CC OO and UGT unions and the CEOE-Cepyme employers’ association the negotiation of the increase in the minimum interprofessional wage (SMI) in 2024 after the social dialogue table concluded without an agreement last Thursday.

The employers and unions agree that public contracts can be updated on the same terms as the SMI, a business demand, but they differ on the amount of the increase. The CEOE proposes that the increase remain at 1,112 euros per month, but Díaz sets the increase at 1,123 euros, an intermediate position compared to the unions’ maximums, which range from 1,136 euros to 1,200.