The Ministry of Economy, Knowledge and Employment of the Government of the Canary Islands imposed 745,796.72 euros in fines through the extraordinary inspection campaign that took place between November 4 and December 15, 2019 to expose irregular employment.
The area's minister, Elena Máñez, explained in a parliamentary committee that during the six weeks that the campaign lasted, a total of 1,280 visits were planned, although finally 1,300 were carried out, which means that the objective has been exceeded by more than 100%.
Regarding the campaign data, Elena Máñez indicated that these visits led to 3,593 actions that have directly or indirectly benefited more than 3,000 workers.
Irregularities in 41.45% of contracts
Likewise, a total of 7,240 employment contracts have been reviewed and irregularities have been detected in 41.45% of them, to which would have to be added 182 cases in which workers did not have any type of job.
In terms of labor relations, during the extraordinary campaign, 6,384 contracts were reviewed, 2,600 of them temporary that have been transformed into permanent, which represents 40% of those examined. A total of 1,322 correspond to women and 1,280 to men.
856 employment contracts were also reviewed in terms of Social Security and, thanks to these reviews, the working day was increased in 399 part-time contracts, more than 46% of those reviewed. In 293, the working day was increased by more than 50% or they were converted to full-time in 73.43%. By gender, 182 correspond to women and 217 to men.
In four out of ten contracts, the labor irregularities detected have been corrected. At the same time, 475 jobs have been revealed, 182 of them undeclared that did not have any type of employment contract, of which 163 were not registered with Social Security, six corresponded to foreigners without work permits, twelve to unemployed people who were working while receiving a benefit or unemployment subsidy incompatible with work and seven to foreigners without work permits and working for others.
Infractions
Similarly, a total of 221 infractions have been extended with proposed sanctions worth 745,796.72 euros. The distribution of infractions by subject is as follows: in terms of labor relations, 67 infractions for an amount of 49,189 euros; in terms of Social Security, 130 infractions for an amount of 558,710 euros; in terms of immigration, seven infractions for an amount of 70,000 euros; in terms of obstruction of the inspection work, 17 infractions for an amount of 67,890 euros.
Regarding liquidation files of the Social Security, the total amount reached is 161,833.92 euros; finally, 868 requirements were processed to the companies visited, both in labor and occupational safety matters. In terms of the underground economy, subsidies have been called for an amount of 240,000 euros during 2020.
At the end of her speech, Elena Máñez stated that labor fraud "is a structural problem that we have in the Canary Islands, which affects the underground economy, and with these actions we intend to contribute to exposing them".
She also highlighted the new measures that have been launched by the Canarian Employment Service (SCE) to encourage the hiring of people in the home, "a sector greatly affected by the underground economy and in which, in crisis contexts, it is very easy to move from a contract to being in a situation without any protection".
