Created in 2017, Labour Rights Defence Points offer advice on a permanent basis around the city’s ten districts, combining individual and group support with telephone assistance. The 3,700 plus people who used the service this year took part in 4,843 sessions in all, mainly to resolve doubts shared by collectives such as migrants, people with work-life conciliation needs or belonging to sectors such as domestic and household workers, delivery riders and carers.

This service is one of the ways to combat labour precariousness and promote a quality job market. In this respect, a monitoring commission is to be created to strive for progress on labour rights and quality employment within the framework of the Barcelona Agreement on Quality Work (ABOQ), bringing a set of indicators to establish the evolution of quality employment in the city.

Mainly women and an average of 315 users a month

The service attended to 315 people a month on average this year, 68% of them women and 73.8% from the six districts with social and economic indicators below the city average. The sectors accounting for the largest volume of users were commerce (16.8%) and activities of an administrative nature (9.6%).

In terms of studies, nearly 50% of users have secondary education qualifications, 43% have university qualifications and 8% have primary school or no qualifications. Among those with university qualifications, women account for nearly 75%, while men represent 24.6%.

In terms of origin, 62.5% are of Spanish origin, while 24% come from outside the EU and 13.3% from the EU.

The most common queries were generic requests on labour rights and on general conditions for employment contracts, salary conditions, collective labour agreements, working hours and labour categories. There were also requests relating to paid leave, holidays, harassment at work and time out. Other matters included queries relating to temporary incapacity, unemployment benefit, subsidies and above all, on compatibility, social security contributions and quantities. To a lesser degree, but equally important, the service handled enquiries relating to permanent incapacity, retirement and contributions.

Young people’s labour advice service: 4,854 enquiries

Young people between the ages of 16 and 35 have had a specialist service available to them since 2022, providing information on labour rights and duties. The labour advice service operated by Joves de Barcelona, backed by the City Council’s Department for Youth, attended to 4,854 enquiries from 3,158 people in 2024. Most assistance was for people under the age of 25 and related to work contracts, collective labour agreements, payrolls and deductions, claims relating to dismissals and benefits.