Yolanda Díaz pressures the PSOE in Congress to unblock the scholarship holder's standing | Economy | EUROtoday

On June 15, 2023, the Ministry of Labor and the unions offered the final social dialogue settlement of the final legislature, the standing of the scholarship holder, rejected by the employers' affiliation and the college rectors. About a few hours earlier than Yolanda Díaz, Pepe Álvarez and Unai Sordo started their speeches on the matter, the PSOE made it very clear that it didn’t subscribe to the textual content both: sources from Moncloa and the Ministry of Economic Affairs stated that it was “green” and that it lacked “technical work.” This didn’t cease Díaz from taking his approval with no consideration that day. But the regulation by no means reached the Council of Ministers, normal elections have been held and it stays within the drawer, regardless of its presentation to society. The second vice chairman's parliamentary group has taken a brand new step to maneuver ahead with this regulation and get the PSOE to maneuver: this Friday it registered a non-law proposal (PNL) that, if accredited, would urge the Executive to course of “urgently” ” the standing of the scholarship holder.

The PSOE and Sumar Government settlement features a temporary reference to the approval of this textual content, however doesn’t specify whether or not the one that ought to go forward is the one agreed with the centrals. Sumar's non-legal proposal depends on the June textual content: “The Congress of Deputies urges the Government to adopt the necessary measures for the urgent processing of the Statute of people in practical training in the field of business in the wording given by the bipartite agreement reached in June 2023 between the Ministry of Labor and Social Economy and the union organizations,” claims the PNL. PSOE parliamentary sources consulted in current days indicated {that a} norm of those traits wants the consensus of all of the events concerned.

The rule that unions and Labor signed suffers from exactly this, given the frontal rejection of the Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities. In a press release he “radically” opposed the compensation of bills contemplated within the rule. “This is an unprecedented provision in our law and whose immediate consequence will be the dramatic decrease in the number of companies and, above all, public entities willing to host internship students.” With the present wording, the scholarship holder's statute does obtain a constructive analysis from the principle pupil teams.

Rejection of the textual content additionally comes from a few of the Executive's foremost companions. PNV sources expressed doubts when it was accredited by unions and Labor: “It has not been discussed with us and much less agreed upon. But it is not agreed upon with the universities or the autonomous communities either.” ERC additionally opposed the textual content: “We ask that a clear commitment be made to paid internships.” Bildu didn’t clearly help the rule both.

Verónica Martínez Barbero, deputy of Sumar and spokesperson within the Labor fee, explains that her group has registered this non-legal proposition to reactivate the dialog on the matter: “We perceive that we’ve to deliver it up once more, it is extremely essential. We need to check what the teams' place is, to begin speaking about it, to see the place it lies and what we are able to agree on.” It won't go to committee until after the summer, which still leaves plenty of time for each group to define its position. “The text that was agreed upon is very complete and included positions of both the employers' association and the rectors. It is very guaranteeing,” adds Martínez Barbero, who identifies “political reasons” in the original rejection of the text: “Surely improvements can be incorporated, but I think that by explaining the rule well we can get it to move forward.” She also sees options for the PSOE's position to change: “I feel that exterior of the noise of the elections we can attain an settlement.”

What does the status of the scholarship holder consist of?

The rule that was signed in 2023 strives to clarify that internships are not an employment relationship. “It will be presumed that an employment relationship exists when the activity carried out replaces the functions of an employed person or when there is no direct link between the activity carried out in the company and the program, curriculum or skills included in the training itinerary to which it is included. associated practice”, indicates the text.

In addition, it restricts the hours of internships depending on their type. The curricular courses, which are those developed during the studies, cannot exceed 25% of the hours in which the ECTS credits of the degree are obtained. A four-year university degree is made up of 240 credits, so internships cannot exceed 60 credits. That is, 1,500 hours, which at eight hours a day is equivalent to 188 days. Extracurricular activities, which are what complicated the negotiation, are limited to 15% of the hours in which the degree credits are completed or a maximum of 480 hours. That is, 60 days at eight hours per day, half of what until now.

The statute does not force companies to compensate interns, but it does establish the obligation to compensate for the expenses they incur. Thus, intern students would have the right to have their transportation or subsistence expenses paid. This is one of the points that aroused the most criticism. If the company compensates the intern and that amount is sufficient to offset those expenses, there are no additional burdens for the company.

On the other hand, the rule establishes that interns cannot be more than 20% of the workplace's staff, with the caveat for SMEs that they can always be at least two; prevents them from working shifts or at night, unless the activity cannot be carried out in any other way; allows the compatibility of unemployment benefits and internships; and provides for sanctions of up to 225,018 euros for non-compliant companies.

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