Barcelona City Council's fifth Deputy Mayor, Raquel Gil, presided over the institutional May Day commemoration event today, highlighting cooperation between various bodies to guarantee labour rights in Barcelona.
Ms Gil, who oversees Social Rights, Economic Promotion, Labour, Feminisms, and Democratic Memory, and is president of Barcelona Activa, stressed the role of the Labour Rights Commission. This body provides a stable forum within the City Council for discussing and advocating for labour rights, and it coordinates efforts between the administration and social agents.
She also praised the work of the Labour Rights Defence points and the coordination protocol between the Guàrdia Urbana and the Generalitat's Labour Inspectorate. This initiative aims to combat precarious employment, leading to the closure of 779 cases in 2025. These efforts resulted in 592 proposed infringements, fines totalling nearly €5 million, and 116 new registrations with Social Security.
Ensuring fair working conditions
Beyond the specific May Day commemorations, Ms Gil underlined the continuous work throughout the year to defend labour rights in the city. She stated that everyone, within their own responsibilities and competencies, shares a vision and goal of creating a city with fair working conditions. This ensures residents can live and work with equality, fair wages, and the opportunity for a good quality of life.
The event also featured a keynote speech on current and future challenges for quality employment by Antón Costas, president of Spain's Economic and Social Council. Lorena Ventura, director of Training and Strategic Employment Plans at Barcelona Activa, presented the 2025 Labour Rights Commission Report.
Looking ahead for labour protections
The commemoration included a discussion session on labour rights and quality employment in Barcelona. Paco Ramos, Secretary of Labour for the Generalitat de Catalunya, also spoke, with Eduardo Rojo, president of Barcelona's Economic and Social Council, delivering the closing remarks.
Moving forward, the City Council aims to continue strengthening these collaborative frameworks. The ongoing work of the Labour Rights Commission and the coordination protocol will remain central to ensuring robust labour protections and promoting equitable employment conditions across the city.
