Spain approves “paid climate leave” in the event of a weather alert

The Spanish government approved on Thursday November 28 a “paid climate leave” of four days to avoid travel in the event of an alert linked to a meteorological risk, almost a month after the floods which left 230 dead in the south-east of the country.

This new system, adopted by the Council of Ministers as part of a package of measures on risk prevention, aims to “adapt labor law” Spanish in context “climate emergency”explained Labor Minister Yolanda Diaz on public television RTVE.

It will allow workers to benefit from four days' leave, paid by the State, in the event of an alert issued by the authorities, whether “of a town hall, a region or the central government”continued M^me Diaz, figure of the far-left Sumar party. At this stage, the minister has not provided more details on the type of alert concerned by this system, nor on the possible conditions to be met, on the part of employees, to be able to benefit from it.

“No worker should take risks”

Several companies have come under criticism after the floods that devastated the south-east of Spain on October 29, for having asked their employees to stay at work despite a red alert issued by the National Meteorological Agency (Aemet ).

The latter in turn blamed the authorities, accused of not having informed them sufficiently and of having only sent alerts to the population's mobile phones in the early evening, several hours after the notice of the 'Aemet. From now on, “from the moment an authority, whatever it may be, indicates that there is a risk in travel, employees must refrain from going to work”detailed M^me Diaz, for whom “no worker should take risks”.

If the maximum duration of this new climatic leave cannot exceed four days, companies will have the possibility, after this period, of resorting to partial unemployment schemes, which already exist in the event of force majeure according to the executive.

According to specialists, “the cost of this type of event could double by 2050”recalled the Minister of the Economy Carlos Cuerpo at the end of the council of ministers, during which a new aid package of 2.3 billion euros was adopted for the disaster victims. In this context, “we must continue to progress in terms of mobilization, financing and investment to adapt and be more resilient in the face of these types of events” et “minimize the impact”he added.