The Chamber has processed a regulation that originated from a draft agreed upon by employer associations and trade unions during the last legislature, but which could not proceed due to the call for elections. This initial consensus has been crucial for its current approval.
Despite the usual political confrontation, most parliamentary groups, with the exception of Vox, have reached a broad agreement to advance this socially relevant initiative. The text was considered in September and seeks to place work-life balance at the center of public policies, moving it beyond a private matter.
“"At the Equality and Wage Gap Table, a draft was approved with employers and trade unions at the end of the legislature, which could not be processed when elections were called."
The law incorporates measures aimed at both public administrations and the private sector. In the public sphere, an autonomous plan and local strategies are foreseen, in addition to integrating conciliation criteria in contracting and subsidies. For companies, incentives are sought to promote labor flexibility and contribute to closing the wage gap.
The processing period was extended to strengthen political and social consensus, including suggestions from employers and unions, as well as observations from the Consultative Council. The Vox party presented amendments proposing to replace concepts such as "gender perspective" with "family perspective" and "gender wage gap" with "maternal gap," in addition to introducing the criterion of "national priority."
The norm extends its scope beyond the labor sphere, covering education, childcare, and social services, with the vision that conciliation is part of a global organization of care. A budgetary base of at least 0.2% of regional budgets, approximately 25 million euros based on 2026 accounts, is estimated, and local corporations are urged to develop their own plans.
To ensure its effectiveness, the text includes the creation of a monitoring commission that will evaluate its implementation and impact. The law is expected to be definitively approved in the autumn session, making the Canary Islands one of the few autonomous communities with specific regulation in this area, alongside Castilla y León and the Balearic Islands.
