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31STMARCH - 6TH APRIL 2020 - EDITION 832
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Your Essential Weekly Read
NEW RESTRICTIONS: All nonessential workers stopped The Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has announced stricter confinement orders in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus as Spain’s figures continue to rise at an alarming rate. From yesterday, Monday 30th March until Thursday 9th April all nonessential work activities were stopped. The measure, which was approved on Sunday at an extraordinary Cabinet meeting, is aimed at limiting as much as possible the circulation of persons and thus flattening the curve of infections. "Workers of non-essential activities should stay at home," the Prime Minister said. The upward trend in the number of deaths from coronavirus in recent days has led the Government to toughen the confinement of the 47 million Spaniards. The Government had tried to avoid this measure, despite growing requests from the opposition and its allies, due to the economic impact it will have. Essential services are those considered necessary for the maintenance of basic social functions (health, security, social and economic wellbeing of citizens), or the efficient working of the institutions of state and public administrations, such as the health sector, security forces, telecommunications and the power
sector. The royal decree that was published late on Sunday night includes an appendix with 25 points that detail the activities that will continue to function. Beyond the activities already prohibited, the new restriction will prevent, for example, industrial activity in sectors not considered essential to fight the epidemic, or construction. Essential work is defined as: - Medical, health and pharmacy activities - Food production activities - Transport of food merchandise - Certain passenger and merchandise transport - Distribution of gas and water - Generation and distribution of electrical energy - Food, beverage, products and goods establishments First need - Establishments of hygienic products, pharmacies, opticians and shops of orthopaedic products - Establishments of press and stationery - Tobacconists - Dry cleaners and laundrettes - Establishments for pet food - Oil refining, distribution of fuels and gas stations
- Telecommunications and equipment stores technology - Ports and airports - Media - State security forces and bodies Also operational will be banking services, lawyers and notaries, as well as telecommunications, audiovisual and essential IT service companies, trash collection, cleaning services and organizations that offer protection and attention to gender violence victims, or those who assist dependants or the disabled. Labour Minister Yolanda Díaz explained after the Cabinet meeting that home working is not affected by the measure. That’s to say, that in cases where employees can work from home, they should continue to do so. The opening of bars, restaurants, nightclubs, cultural and leisure facilities, sports venues, amusement parks, auditoriums continues to be suspended, and open-air dances, parades, popular festivals and folkloric demonstrations in open venues and public roads are all prohibited. Of course, the restrictions on people only going out for essential food shopping and medical appointments only also remains in place.
Provision for the workers The paralysation of non-essential activities does not mean that workers will not get their salaries. They will continue to be paid as normal by their companies under a system of paid recoverable leave. When the emergency situation is over, they will work the hours they missed on a gradual basis. “We are talking about 15 days, but in reality they are eight working days,” Yolanda Díaz explained, given that Thursday and Friday of Easter week are holidays in most of Spain’s regions. “These are not obligatory vacation days,” she added. “We will let each sector negotiate how it will manage the
payback of the hours. These are days that must be returned, and there is a time frame to do so up to 31st December, 2020.” However, this new clamp down will add a huge strain to the business community, especially small business owners who have to pay staff not to work, pay tax and social security as normal - but have absolutely no income or revenue coming in what-so-ever. There was a little leeway yesterday as the government realised that people would not be able to just not turn up for work and that some companies might need to finish certain tasks.