Spain's employment minister, Yolanda Díaz, issued an assurance on Saturday that the ERTE furlough scheme will be extended beyond the current deadline of May 31. Following a meeting in Calvia with representatives from unions and the Kellys Union Balear, the group that defends the interests of chambermaids, the minister said that "it would make no sense to drop it now".
Also in attendance were President Armengol and Calvia's mayor, Alfonso Rodríguez, who heard that the Spanish government has adopted a "differential bias" in the management of the crisis in the Balearics. Due to the "unique impact" it has had on the islands, there has been "unprecedented social investment" of 1,329 million euros.
The Balearics, Díaz stressed, will be the region receiving the most state aid as the local economy has been the "most undermined by the pandemic". She added that the special provision for 'fijo discontinuo' workers was created specifically for the Balearics. This has involved spending of 296 million euros.
The minister compared the management of the current crisis to that of 2008. In terms of worker and business protection, this has meant saving over 550,000 companies and three million jobs at a national level.
President Armengol referred to the "constant help" from the employment ministry and its commitment to different protection mechanisms, such as ERTE, benefits for the cessation of self-employed workers' activities and support for businesses.
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Terrible decision and is showing that the summer season is unlikely to happen... don’t extend just open the bloody island and let’s bring in revenue and bring back jobs