Office workers in Catalonia get more leave

The two main Spanish union confederations, CCOO and UGT, have signed an agreement with the major employers' associations in the region of Catalonia, providing a day's extra holiday every year from 2005.

The agreement covers some 150,000 office workers and runs for four years, backdated to the start of January this year. As well as an extra day's holiday starting from next year (which will take workers' total holiday entitlement to 23 days a year), the settlement provides for a 3.0% increase in pay this year plus an additional 0.6% to make up the difference between forecast and actual inflation for 2003. Prices in Spain are currently rising at 3.2% per year.

For each of the following three years (2005, 2006 and 2007), pay is to rise in line with forecast inflation, although there is a clause that allows the employees to claim the difference if inflation is higher than expected.

Reflecting the fact that many office jobs now involve 24-hour working, the agreement provides for a 30% night premium on hours worked between 10pm and 6am. This will come into effect from 1 January 2005.