The procedure for the earlier retirement of workers in strenuous, hazardous and harmful professions remains blocked in Spain. More than two years after the agreement between the government, trade unions and employers’ organisations, none of the applications submitted has received a final decision from Social Security.
The measure potentially affects around 2 million workers, but without a decision it cannot be established which professions meet the requirements or when the coefficients reducing the retirement age can begin to be applied. Those waiting include workers in construction, road transport, the hotel industry and home-based social services.
The mechanism was agreed in September 2024 by the government of Pedro Sánchez, the CCOO and UGT trade unions, and the CEOE and Cepyme employers’ organisations. It provides for a study of professions with high rates of illness, mortality and occupational injuries. If the conditions are met, the retirement age may be lowered, while the system also provides for additional social security contributions to offset the costs.
Construction and transport await a decision
In July 2025, CCOO and UGT requested a study on the construction sector. The sector recorded 164 fatal workplace accidents during the year, while the initial estimate was that the measure could cover nearly 1 million workers. The unions themselves now acknowledge that the actual number of potential beneficiaries will probably be lower, since the right will not automatically apply to all employees.
After construction, road transport was included in the procedure. The request concerns around 570,000 employees and is supported by the employers’ organisations CETM, which represents freight transport, and Confebus, which brings together passenger carriers. Despite the agreement between unions and employers, the application for the sector also remains undecided.
The government had six months to complete the procedure. Cristina Estévez, secretary of UGT, told El Pais that the agreed deadlines had been „obviously breached“. According to her, the ministry cited a staff shortage as one of the reasons for the delay, but the unions no longer consider this explanation sufficient.
Carmelo González, chairman of the employers’ organisation for freight transport, also acknowledges the dissatisfaction over the lack of a decision. He warns that a potential strike would create further difficulties for a sector that is already facing a significant increase in costs.
Expansion to predominantly female occupations
The requests are no longer limited to professions mainly associated with strenuous physical labour and a serious risk of accidents. UGT has submitted an application covering around 150,000 hotel cleaning workers. In October, CCOO and UGT requested the same right for approximately 161,000 employees in home-based social services.
At the beginning of November, around 14,000 airport ground-handling employees were added to the list. Separately, a trade union organisation linked to UGT is calling for a study of the working conditions of around 50,000 taxi drivers. The employers’ organisation Antaxi is considering submitting its own application, but is awaiting the outcome of the procedure for passenger transport.
The government is defending a restrictive approach. It is not enough for a profession to be difficult — it must be proven that the risks and exhaustion cannot be overcome through changes in working conditions. In construction, Social Security has requested additional data from companies on the specific activities involved, which must be provided by March 2027.
Meanwhile, CCOO and UGT are warning that they may resume protests. Carlos Bravo of CCOO describes the approach of some employers’ organisations as viewing earlier retirement above all as an „increase in costs“, while the unions present it as a measure to protect workers’ health.
Sources: mundiario.com