Yolanda Daz raises the tone against Calvio for unemployment benefits: “In the Government some use language to the right of the PP”

2023-12-02 14:40:02

Updated Saturday, December 2, 2023 – 1:40 p.m.

The head of Labor denies that the Economy’s proposals in the reform of the subsidy for the unemployed are going to succeed

Vice President Yolanda Daz.Vctor LerenaEFE

The Minister of Labor, Yolanda Díaz, stated today that it causes her “enormous sadness” that members of the Government “talk about subsidizing unemployed people”, in relation to his discrepancies with the Ministry of Economy regarding the unemployment benefit reform.

Díaz has added, after meeting with environmental organizations, that it causes him “surprise to hear a member of the Government say that by cutting unemployment benefits they are going to create 350,000 jobs in Spain“, in relation to an interview published this Saturday by El País with the Secretary of State for the Economy, Gonzalo García Andrés.

“This is not true and it is not scientific,” emphasized the Minister of Labor, who in recent days has expressed her differences of opinion on this matter also with the head of the Economy, Nadia Calvio.

Daz has expressed the opinion that the statements of some members of the Government remind him “of language of the right of the PPwhich said that people are unemployed because they want to be unemployed.

The minister has stressed that “we do not share at all the neoliberal logic of the right” and has assured that she will fulfill her commitment.

Sources from the Ministry of Labor and Economy have insisted this week that “in no way” are there going to be cuts in the subsidy reform unemployment assistance, despite the fact that the Ministry of Economy has attempted to adjust downwards.

This fight within the coalition government has delayed this reform for more than a year. Díaz has insisted that “not only will the benefit not be cut, but we are going to improve it.”

The Ministry of Labor proposes a reform of the subsidy for unemployment that increases its amount at the beginning up to 660 euros per month, to return it to the current level (480 euros) after a year, improves coverage and allows you to continue collecting it for 45 days after joining a job.

Labor denies that they are going to move forwardThe Economy approaches that involve reducing the collection time from 30 to 12 months and for cutting its amount to an average of 442.5 euros per month during that year (600 euros in the first quarter, 480 euros in the second, 390 euros in the third and 300 euros in the fourth).

In relation to the unemployment data for the last month that will be made public next Monday, Yolanda Díaz has said that she cannot provide any details on this matter, although she has declared that “they are good.”

Asked about the negotiations with employers and unions on the minimum interprofessional wage (SMI), the head of Labor has been “optimistic” and has considered that “there is room to reach an agreement” after learning that employers are willing to increase 3% and the union side demands an increase above 5% “when the CPI has closed this year at 3.8%”