"I hope so," said the Minister of Finance and Civil Service, María Jesús Montero, just before entering the the Spanish Parliament to defend the decree law that seeks to end temporariness in the public sector. And so it was, though with not much to spare. The agreement was promoted by the former Minister of the Civil Service, Miquel Iceta, with backing of the main unions. However, it was opposed by other minority unions who say the reform will leave many workers without jobs. The reform has been ratified in the second round - it was tied in the first vote - thanks to the votes of the coalition government parties (PSOE and Unides Podem), ERC, Compromís and other minor parties.

First victory for interim civil servants working for the public administration. The Supreme Court has agreed that interim civil servants' contracts will become permanent after three years posted to the same position. With this decision the Supreme Court rectifies its own doctrine in relation to the duration of the interim contract after the Court of Justice of the European Union (TEU) declared the Spanish legislation that allows unlimited renewal of temporary contracts in the public sector pending a selection processes for which there is no specific fixed term contrary to European law.

The Spanish government is preparing a major legal change to put an end to the high rate of temporary employment in the public sector. The Minister of Territorial Policy and Public Function, Miquel Iceta, announced on Thursday that the executive will reform the Basic Statute of the Public Employee (EBEP) to force all public administrations - including town and city councils - to fill positions that are currently occupied by temporary workers with permanent staff within a maximum period of three years. Staff with temporary contracts working directly for the State is around 8%, while it soars to 30% in the case of regional administrations. In the Generalitat, it reaches 32%. With the reform, the central government wants temporality to be kept under 8% in all public administrations.