Absenteeism and sick leaves, error or hidden agenda of the PP?

BarcelonaThe leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, has caused a real earthquake this week by advocating for a salary cut for those on sick leave. Spoiler alert: this already happens. In the case of common illnesses, such as the flu or back pain, for example, there is no benefit during the first three days; from the fourth day up to the 20th, the worker receives 60% paid by the company; from the 21st onwards, 75% is paid by Social Security. However, there may be modifications included in the collective agreement and other amounts or 100% may be paid, as is the case with maternity or paternity leave, which is paid by Social Security. When it is an accident or occupational illness, 75% is paid from the first day by the company.

Probably eager to attract employers, the popular leader went too far. Or he didn't know how to explain himself, as hinted by the PP itself. In any case, his statements have not only caused trade union rejection, which would be predictable, but have also been met with opposition within his own ranks, although it's a matter of factions. While some, like the party spokesperson, Borja Sémper, have qualified their leader's statements, especially regarding calling labor absenteeism a cancer – Sémper himself had to take a break from politics for cancer – others, like the president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, have applauded them. "He's more right than anyone," she has even said, turning Feijóo's statements into a kind of proposal for when they govern.

From the PP president's statements, two things can be deduced. First, that he is unaware of the topic he is discussing. Second, that he has publicly stated, without knowing the details very well, what he intends to do if he reaches Moncloa. This explains the nervousness of the apparatus, given that the popular party is not only voted for by some employers and businesspeople, but also by workers. Considering these intentions, perhaps some will think twice before casting their vote, they must be thinking at Génova street in Madrid.

In the end, the question is whether the candidate to be president of the Spanish government is unaware of the legislation, is poorly advised or informed, or has simply made public, and not very rigorously, plans they intend to carry out, but which are not electorally convenient to explain now. A kind of hidden agenda. Probably, it's a mixture of both.