Barcelona crackdown on labour fraud uncovers 592 infringements

A cooperation protocol in Barcelona between the Labour Inspectorate of Catalonia and the Guàrdia Urbana has identified 592 labour infringements, leading to nearly €5 million in proposed fines. The joint effort concluded 779 cases in 2025, resulting in 116 new registrations with Social Security.

Most infringements involved individuals working without proper administrative status or lacking Social Security registration, with average fines around €8,500. The sectors most affected include hospitality, local renovation companies, 24-hour supermarkets, and goods transport.

This initiative stems from a collaboration protocol developed by the Barcelona Labour Rights Commission, established under the Barcelona Agreement for Quality Employment (ABOQ). The ABOQ, a framework by Barcelona City Council with local economic and social agents, aims to build an employment model based on quality, equal opportunities, and worker protection.

Strengthening Worker Protections

This mechanism strengthens the work of the Labour Rights Defence Points (PDDL), which Barcelona Activa has promoted since 2017. These points bring together municipal services, trade unions, and relevant bodies. Raquel Gil, Deputy Mayor for Economic Promotion, Commerce, Markets, Restaurants, and Employment, explained that the PDDL offers an open service to all citizens, aiming to defend workers' rights, detect violations, strengthen support networks, and improve access to information.

Gil added that the joint work through the ABOQ helps drive coordinated actions such as the collaboration protocol for joint inspections between the Guàrdia Urbana of Barcelona and the Labour Inspectorate of the Generalitat. She said this coordination shows that the fight against precarious employment is more effective when agencies work together. The protocol, linked to the PDDL, reinforces worker protection and reaffirms Barcelona's commitment to decent, quality work.

Laura Freixas, Director General of the Labour Inspectorate of Catalonia, noted that strengthening these collaborations is a strategic goal for the Catalan Labour Inspectorate. She cited not only the good results but also the expanded detection of alleged irregularities.

PDDL Services and Impact

In 2025, the PDDL handled 4,630 consultations from 3,644 individuals through individual advisory services (83.1%) and group training sessions (16.9%). Users rated the service with an average score of 8.8.

The 3,664 people served across the network represent an average of 305 consultations per month, with 69% initiated by women. Of Barcelona residents helped, 69% came from the six priority districts, which have socio-economic indicators below the city average.

The professions of service users were mainly in commerce (14.7%), restaurants and hotels (13.2%), and healthcare activities (7%). Nearly 48% of those served had secondary education, 44% had university studies, and 8% had primary education or no studies. Most (68.9%) were employed, and 87.2% had permanent contracts.

User Demographics and Common Queries

Regarding origin, 60.5% of individuals served were Spanish nationals, while 24.3% were from outside the EU and 15.2% from other EU countries. Among the latter, Italian was the most frequent nationality (22.7% of Europeans). For those outside the EU, Colombians (11.6%) and Peruvians (8.2%) were most prominent, followed by Venezuelans (6.1%) and Argentinians (5.5%).

In 2025, the most common queries related to general labour rights (30.4%), with many questions about payroll reviews, holidays, working hours, and permits. Other frequent topics included professional categories, workplace harassment, and leave of absence.

Social Security queries were the second most numerous (18.9%), mostly concerning temporary incapacity. There was also demand for information on unemployment benefits, particularly compatibility, contributions, and amounts. Less frequently, people asked about permanent incapacity, retirement, and contributions.

Most consultations (61.3%) ended with the resolution of the doubts raised. However, 19.9% were referred to the Legal Guidance Service (SOJ), 6.3% resulted in a recommendation to report to the Labour Inspectorate, and 2.2% were referred to Social Security.

Youth Labour Advisory Services

Individuals up to 35 years old can use the Youth Labour Advisory Services, offered through Barcelona's Youth Points network and managed by the City Council's Youth Department. These services provide information, guidance, and legal advice on labour matters.

In 2025, this service handled 1,198 consultations from 815 young people at the first level of labour information. These queries mostly focused on legislative frameworks, social security benefits, and payroll and severance pay. Women made up almost 70% of users.

Expert advisory services on labour rights and duties provided 416 consultations, with women again forming the majority (72.6%). These advisories offered personalised support on contracts, payroll, dismissals, and trade union rights, among other topics.

The service also organised 111 group activities, led by the advisory team, for 2,234 participants.