Yolanda Díaz and her Portuguese counterpart, Ana Mendes Godinho, step up social dialogue and cross-border cooperation

Following the bilateral meeting, held at the headquarters of the Portuguese Ministry of Work, which was also attended by the Spanish State Secretary for Employment and Social Economy, Joaquín Pérez Rey, and the Portuguese State Secretary for Social Security, Gabriel Bastos, the two ministers signed a Declaration of Intent, which primarily seeks to enhance social dialogue, cross-border relations and strengthen the social dimension of the EU on such aspects as the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights and its Action Plan. The social economy is another cornerstone of the Declaration, an area in which Spain has just handed over the Rotating Presidency of the Monitoring Committee of the Luxembourg Declaration to Portugal.

"We have been strengthening our ties of cooperation for many years now based on our geographic proximity, interdependence in a range of areas and a shared vision of how we want tomorrow's Europe to be, from both our countries sharing a similar perspective, in which we have strong elements in common to redefine the European Social Pillar", remarked Minister Díaz

Yolanda Díaz highlighted agreement on two key elements: Portugal's Rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU and of the Monitoring Committee of the Luxembourg Declaration. The social economy is resilient and places people at its centre, and helps foster territorial cohesion", recalled the Minister for Work. "The recovery of rights is key and the crisis must not cut these rights or increase the inequality gap", above all, she recalled, among young people and women from both our countries.

Common position on minimum wage

Minister Díaz, together with the Portuguese minister, Ana Mendes Godinho, acknowledged "common positions on the minimum wage as a means to guarantee a dignified standard of living for workers, decent working conditions and protection for workers on low salaries".

"Section 6 is particularly important on the design of an effective instrument, such as the minimum wage. Today we sign a declaration that makes progress on this matter, in the conviction that we will soon have an EU Directive that regulates the minimum wage", declared Yolanda Díaz.

The Minister for Work indicated that "minimum wage increases have been very positive for companies, for the economy and for workers in the weakest positions. Minimum wages are applied to workers whose conditions are not negotiated, and fall outside of bargaining agreements".

She stressed the fact that "leaving those who most need them outside of the scope of minimum wage increases is one of the greatest injustices. This is an effective tool due to its impact on gender and in reducing the inequality gap".

Statue for cross-border workers

The ministers also set out the approach to a joint design of the Statute for cross-border workers, within a global strategy of cooperation between the two countries.

"We have addressed the introduction of a census of cross-border workers, a task that should be the foundation for a subsequent legal regulation, which eliminates any discrimination on grounds of nationality and which improves inspection mechanisms for the European Labour Authority between the two countries", remarked Minister Díaz after the meeting.

Minister Mendes Godinho highlighted the "importance of the historical ties that unite Spain and Portugal", a country that will take on the Rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of next year, and the collaboration employed in enhancing social dialogue and collaboration on attracting talent to cross-border regions, within the framework of a regulation of the Statute of workers on both sides of the Portuguese-Spanish border.

The Declaration of Intent, which will consolidate and boost bilateral cooperation, will be implemented through a Plan of Activities 2021- 2022, with specific actions on employment, job security, training, social action and cross-border cooperation, among its main elements.

Non official translation