In the last decade, paternity leave has been updated almost constantly. Until 2016, Social Security only covered 13 working days for fathers, extendable to 15. Since then, however, the coverage of the leave has been continuously expanded, first increasing to four weeks in 2017 and, a year later, to five. Furthermore, in 2019 it was approved to progressively equalize the leave for both parents in three phases: the fathers' leave increased that same year to 8 weeks, in 2020 it was extended to 12 and, finally, in 2021 it became comparable to that of mothers, which at that time was 16 weeks. Currently, birth leave is up to 19 paid weeks per parent.

The Minister of Business and Labour, Miquel Sàmper, has announced the creation of a second office for Acció, the agency that works for the growth of Catalan companies, in India. This will be located in the country's capital, New Delhi, and is expected to be operational before the end of 2026. Until now, Acció had a single office in India located in Mumbai. With this announcement, the minister begins an institutional trip to New Delhi and Mumbai to increase opportunities and strengthen trade relations between Catalonia and the Asian country.

Barça's delegate members are called this Saturday to the club's Ordinary General Assembly. This year, very relevant points for the blue and garnet future will be discussed: from the expansion of financing to finish the Espai Barça to the ratification of the members of the new board of directors. Also, the projects to create a luxury real estate complex in Dubai in partnership with an Emirati company (Ohana Real Estate Development and Construction LLC) and the idea of creating an indoor amusement park at the new Camp Nou will have to be put to a vote. This last proposal has been surrounded by controversy due to the links of Babylon Park Spain SL –partner of the project– with Israel.

"The Spanish banking sector had never earned so much money, and its staff have never been worse off." Comissions Obreres has announced an autumn of mobilizations in the banking sector across the State due to the "unbearable working climate" that staff are suffering amid a context of record profits. The pressure measure will arrive, therefore, a few months before the negotiation tables for the sector's next collective agreement are established, which are scheduled for the first quarter of next year. During a press conference held in Madrid this Thursday, CCOO requested that a salary improvement of 7% be studied for 2027, and 4% annually between 2028 and 2030. It also demanded that the next agreement establish a maximum of 1,600 annual working hours, which workers would achieve by gaining a long weekend each month.

The continuity of Seat is hanging by a thread. Although the Catalan brand's models currently continue to have a great market outlet, the Volkswagen Group is studying the possibility of retiring the historic firm by 2029. The decision is part of the restructuring plan being promoted by the German giant, which plans to halve its models and also significantly reduce production. The group's proposal, moreover, will also have serious consequences for the workforce: 100,000 layoffs are expected worldwide.

The Spanish government is convinced that the Seat brand will survive the cuts being studied by the Volkswagen group. In an intervention at the Fòrum Europa Tribuna Catalunya, the Secretary of State for Industry, Jordi Garcia Brustenga, has assured that he has "zero doubts" about its continuity, and has asked the German group to continue investing in the Catalan company and launching "new models." Garcia Brustenga also highlighted the "intangible" value of Seat in the territory. The future of the historic brand is up in the air after the company itself admitted last week that it is analyzing the possibility of eliminating it starting in 2030.

"Today we are taking another step in the fight against job insecurity in our country." The Council of Ministers approved this Tuesday the transposition of a European regulation that will guarantee that workers have more "transparent" access to their working conditions. As the Minister of Labor, Yolanda Díaz, has explained, the rule will allow for combating precariousness by guaranteeing "adequate and immediate" access to the essential characteristics of the employment relationship.

The Institut Català de Finances (ICF) and Banc Sabadell are injecting 1.8 million euros into Parlem so that the company can meet its most immediate treasury needs. In a statement published on BME Growth - the stock exchange for small and medium-sized companies - the telecom catalana details that the operation is part of the execution of its business plan, based on generating positive cash flow after approving a restructuring of its debt.

Every day – and even more so during the summer – thousands of users take a plane to go on holiday, for a business trip, or simply to go to a distant destination. However, for many of these travellers, the world of aviation is a great unknown. For this reason, Èric Besora (@a320cat), commander and instructor of A320 aircraft, decided to start disseminating information about the sector in Catalan through his social networks and currently has almost 30,000 followers between Instagram and Twitter. “I explain curiosities about the world of aviation, I answer questions from my followers, and I give my point of view on the news that breaks, such as when there are accidents,” Besora assures in conversation with l’ARA.

Last Friday, the shareholders' meeting of Parlem approved a critical shareholding change for the company. The Catalan telecom company approved a restructuring of its debt that leaves the majority of the capital in the hands of the Inveready fund and the Malaga family that owns Mayoral, through its holding company Global Portfolio Investments. Specifically, with the change approved by the board, Inveready, which held around 8% of the capital, will become the main shareholder with 49%, after converting outstanding debt into shares. Furthermore, Global Portfolio Investments is expected to participate strongly in a capital increase worth 7.95 million euros to maintain its weight in the shareholding.

The return of hostilities in the Middle East has put an end to the calm in the region. And also that of the markets, especially energy. Since the war in Iran began, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has jeopardized European supplies, and this has sent fuel prices soaring. And now the value of oil and natural gas is rising again after a few calmer weeks.

Countdown to the end of the Parlem series. On Friday, August 7, the telecommunications company will organize an extraordinary meeting of key shareholders for the future of the Catalan company. Three points will be discussed: an imminent debt capitalization, a capital increase, and the entry of six new members into its leadership. The approval of these three points would mean a change in the shareholding majorities of the teleco and, as ARA has been able to find out, everything indicates that this will be the case.

"Unpaid overtime is an endemic fraud in our society." A study prepared by the Comissions Obreres de Catalunya (CCOO) trade union quantifies the volume of extra hours worked by Catalans. It also points to a sharp increase in recent years: while in 2019 workers put in an average of 791,000 overtime hours per week, in the first quarter of this year the volume has risen to 1.02 million, representing an increase of 29.3%.

Unemployment falls sharply in Catalonia during the second quarter of the year. According to the active population survey (EPA) published this Tuesday by the National Statistics Institute (INE), the Catalan unemployment rate stands at 7.9%, after rising to 10.12% during the first quarter of the year. Thus, the statistic returns to the level of the fourth quarter of 2024, when unemployment hit lows. However, to find a better second quarter, we must go back to 2008. "All the data is good," assured the Secretary of Labor of the Government, Paco Ramos.

Green light for an agreement to end the negotiations on the employment regulation file (ERO) presented by Leche Pascual at its Gurb plant, in Osona. As reported by Col·lectiu Ronda —the cooperative of lawyers who advised the workers during the process—, on Friday night the staff voted favorably on an agreement to terminate the 86 jobs at the plant.

The Catalan car manufacturer Seat is experiencing a sweet moment amidst a complicated period for its parent company, the German group Volkswagen, which is considering severe staff cuts. Between January and June, the Martorell-based company tripled its operating profit, reaching 122 million euros, as reported this Friday in a statement.

"Sabadell's revenues are going like a shot". Marc Armengol presented this Friday his first accounts as CEO of the Catalan bank, in which the entity obtained a net profit of 971 million euros in the first half of the year, 0.5% less than the previous year. It should be noted that the results still include the contribution of the British subsidiary TSB, which changed hands in May and now belongs to Santander.

Key days for the future of the 86 workers who make up the Leche Pascual workforce in Gurb (Osona). After the Castilian company sealed the sale of the plant to the Catalan Casa Tarradellas, the dairy company's factory has been partially dismantled for months and the handover will take place on July 31. However, the workers' future remains uncertain: although there has been talk of an eventual incorporation into Casa Tarradellas, currently the buyer's offers do not convince the staff, as the conditions they propose are not precise enough. remains uncertain: while an eventual incorporation into Casa Tarradellas has been discussed, currently the buyer's offers do not convince the staff, as the conditions they propose are not precise enough.

During 2025, Catalans filed 4,798 complaints with the Bank of Spain. The figure – representing 15.4% of the total claims made in the State – is 55% lower than the claims made a year earlier, in 2024. This sharp decrease returns the statistics to their usual pace: as the Bank of Spain explained this Tuesday, 2024 was a year of "extraordinary" activity due to the Supreme Court's ruling on undue mortgage expenses.

For holidays, as we have more free time, the hours we spend in front of screens tend to increase. And more time on our mobile or computer also means being more exposed to the dangers of the internet, such as fraud or scams. For this reason, as explained by the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU), it is important to keep three basic tips in mind: messages from unknown origins should not be opened, one should be wary of bargains and alarmist messages, and it should be taken into account that no company or bank asks for banking details via phone, email, or text message.