Andorra Approves Labour Reforms Boosting Worker Representation and Protections

Andorra's General Council unanimously approved reforms to the Labour Relations Law on Thursday, extending worker representation to firms with up to 30 employees and strengthening protections in response to the low adoption of 2018 rules. Only 17 companies—mainly public or foundational—currently have delegates or committees six years after the original law's implementation. The updates, developed via consensus in the Economic and Social Council between employers and unions, introduce flexible committee options in larger workplaces, six-month dismissal safeguards for election candidates, additional terms during shortages, and processes to trigger elections if 10% of staff request it anonymously through the Work Department.

These measures build on Andorra's recent acceptance of Article 28 of the revised European Social Charter, announced by Social Affairs Minister Trini Marín at a high-level Council of Europe conference in Chisinau, Moldova. The provision requires effective protections for worker representatives against retaliation, including dismissal linked to their roles, as well as necessary facilities like paid time off. Andorran law already prohibits sanctions or terminations for delegates, committee members, or those with representative mandates during their term and for a period afterward—at least half the mandate length—while current reforms extend safeguards to candidates for six months post-election. Existing rules also provide paid representation hours scaled to company size. With this step, Andorra has accepted more than half of the Charter's provisions, in force since 2005 and seen as a key international benchmark for social rights. Marín, who moderated a roundtable on implementing social rights amid challenges like rising living costs, population aging, and climate change, described the move as reinforcing the country's alignment with European standards.

Minister of Presidency, Economy, Work and Housing Conxita Marsol called the reforms "concrete, useful and prudent." Opposition figures welcomed the agreement but sought expansions. Social Democrats leader Susanna Vela deemed them "limited and insufficient," urging bans on non-causal dismissals and public union funding. Concòrdia's Nuria Segués viewed it as "a first step" essential for tourism's shifting schedules, while Demòcrates' Maria Martisella highlighted the CES role.

Elsewhere, the Council rejected Concòrdia's proposal for open lists in parish constituencies, with Demòcrates and Ciutadans Compromesos halting debate despite backing from Social Democrats and Andorra Endavant. Ciutadans Compromesos leader Carles Naudi cited risks of chaos from low-vote winners or influencers in small parishes like Canillo or Massana. Minister Ladislau Baró noted inconsistencies with closed national lists, absent evidence of turnout benefits, and threats to the young party system. Concòrdia's Pol Bartolomé positioned it as a flexible tool against youth abstention, inspired by deliberative democracy.

The session also unanimously backed a territorial planning study commission report to guide sustainable development amid housing pressures, creating a commission to update the LGOTU despite Andorra Endavant's concerns over property rights. A separate Andorra Endavant motion for a supermarket food waste agreement—with dedicated sections, tax breaks, and monitoring—failed over overlap with the 2022 circular economy law, which already requires such actions. Concòrdia's Maria Àngels Aché referenced 18kg of annual per-person waste but stressed enforcement needs.