Labour Research January 2020

European news

Sickness dismissals


Spain’s two main union confederations, CCOO and UGT, have called on the government to change the current law which allows sick employees to be lawfully dismissed. 


In October 2019, the constitutional court ruled that 2012 legislation permitting such dismissals was in line with the country’s constitution and that dismissals in these circumstances could go ahead. 


Spain does not yet have a fully functioning government. But the unions hope that if the two left-of-centre parties trying to build a majority are successful, action to repeal this, and other labour law provisions introduced in 2012, will have a high priority.