Isabelle Ferreras (Belgium, 1975) has been coordinating the Report on Democracy at Work. The text, recently presented by a high-level commission of experts under the Ministry of Labor, which she herself chaired, questions power structures in the workplace: "They are connected to the possibility of living in a democratic society," Ferreras reflects. The Belgian researcher speaks to ARA via video call, while the Ministry has begun negotiations with unions, but without employers' associations, to make progress on this issue.

The arrival of foreign workers has not only meant a boost for the Spanish and Catalan economies In recent years, the trend has shifted from a lack of immigrants to simply "easier" to enter more productive and better-paying jobs. The former are thus filling the positions that workers of origin do not want. This is confirmed by the research and analysis center Funcas in its report.Immigration in Spain: challenges, impact and policies Published this Thursday, the report estimates that foreign workers have contributed 47% to the growth of the Spanish economy since 2022. This means that almost half of the increase in gross domestic product (GDP, the indicator that measures the size of an economy) over the last five years can be attributed to the arrival of migrants. Funcas highlights that the foreign population residing in Spain has risen from marginal figures to become "an unavoidable structural component of Spanish demographics and the labor market." This is illustrated by the active population, which includes those who are working or actively seeking employment: since 2019, it has grown by 7.8%, equivalent to approximately 1.8 million new workers, almost all of whom are of foreign origin. "This is a supply shock unparalleled by the major European economies, which has boosted Spain's productive potential." Furthermore, "the sectoral and occupational bias of the foreign workforce has allowed for the growth of activities that were facing labor shortages," the study concludes.

Democratizing corporate governance—decision-making—is the banner that Second Vice President and Minister of Labor, Yolanda Díaz, raised almost a year ago with the creation of a group of experts to put in writing how the process could be improved. representation and participation of workers in the governing bodies of companiesStarting with the boards of directors. The mandate was to outline the main principles of a reform that guarantees employee access to these spaces and even to company ownership.

Chaos, disarray... Words fail to describe the situation on the commuter rail network following the train crash last week into a retaining wall that had collapsed onto the tracks due to heavy rains near Gelida. The accident resulted in the death of a trainee driver and injuries to 37 others. And now we have to add to the list. the blockade of goods in the ports of Barcelona and TarragonaApparently, the accident, combined with bad weather and other factors, exacerbated deficiencies that had accumulated over years.

Donald Trump's arrival at the White House will not go unnoticed this May Day, or at least not among the majority unions, CCOO and UGT, which are proposing next week's mobilizations as a dam against the policies of the US president. "It should be a May Day marked by the clamor for shorter working hours, but it will be a clamor for democracy with the arrival of Donald Trump," said CCOO leader Unai Sordo at a press conference this Monday, during the presentation of the two unions' manifesto for International Workers' Day 2025: "Win the Future."

Migrant workers are gaining ground in high-value-added sectors, specifically in scientific and technical professional activities, as well as in those related to information and communication. In the former case, Social Security recorded a 7.8% increase in foreign workers across the country this March compared to March 2024, while in the latter case, the increase is 6.3%, as announced this Wednesday by the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration.

The self-employed workers' organisation ATA, linked to employers' association CEOE, has given its approval to to reform of the tax system for the self-employed. The organisation chaired joins UATAE –linked to trade union CCOO– and the organisation UPTA –linked to trade union UGT– which had already announced their support. Now, the text still has to be approved by CEOE's governing bodies, but everything indicates that throughout the morning they will also vote in favour, insiders say.

Inflation is rising, but wages less so. This is the conclusion drawn from the Collective Bargaining Agreements Statistics published every month by the Ministry of Labour. Last week the main unions, CCOO and UGT, warned of imminent conflict in view of workers' loss of purchasing power. The truth is that wage revisions agreed through agreements have averaged 2.45% up to June, slightly above the revision recorded up to May (2.42%), but well below the general inflation rate general inflation in the sixth month of the year (10.2%), as well as the underlying inflation rate (5.5%).