Unions formally request early retirement for one million construction workers in Spain
It comes after the Spanish government approved the new early retirement rules for arduous or dangerous professions and the industry has the highest rate of work-related accidents and deaths in the country
Barely a month and a half after the Spanish government approved the new rules for early retirement without cuts for arduous or dangerous professions, UGT and CC OO trade unions are stepping forward and formally requesting this early retirement benefit for construction workers.
Both unions raised this request with the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration. This does not apply to everyone in the construction sector, which accounts for between 5% and 6% of Spain's GDP, but specifically to those who work on-site, classified under groups I to IV in the State agreement. This group is estimated to include around one million workers.
The workers' organisations are taking this step forward without the support of the national construction confederation (CNC). The CNC is opposed to it, because it considers that the economic cost of this measure will be "unbearable", as it means an increase in wage costs due to the rise in contributions. Establishing reduction coefficients for a group implies an increase in the contributions that employers and workers pay to Social Security (in a much higher percentage for companies) to compensate for this early retirement.
Despite the CNC's refusal to join the trade unions, UGT and CC OO stated that they will continue trying to persuade the confederation to agree to the proposal. The procedure would be much simpler and quicker if the request is made jointly by trade unions and employers.
High accident rate
In order to demand early retirement, UGT and CC OO have clearly detailed the professional groups that are potentially eligible for early retirement. This includes jobs that put the worker at a higher risk of exhaustion, toxicity, physical danger and decreased overall health. The unions have also created a report with data on accident rates, mortality and occupational diseases.
The construction sector has the highest rate of work-related accidents and deaths. Since 2015, the number of occupational accidents has increased by 64.7%, rising from 49,574 to 81,697 in 2023. Fatal accidents have increased by 52%.
