Family-friendly deal at Deutsche Bank in Spain

Unions have reached an agreement with the German Deutsche Bank which allows employees to take up to six months off work without pay to care for a dependent or to study. This time off can been taken at one time or in blocks of one month over a period of two years. Although the time off is unpaid the employer will continue to make pension contributions.

* Spanish union confederation estimates for the increase in negotiated pay rates in 2001 are around 3.4%. The CCOO puts the average increase at 3.44% for 7.6m workers, while the UGT puts it at 3.4% for 8.2m. Prices increased by 2.7% in the year to December 2001.