The employers’ associations integrated in PIMEB have requested this Thursday to the president of the Balearic Government, Marga Prohens, that the SMEs are left out of the application of the reduction of working hours. The business representatives have moved that this regulation disproportionately affects small and medium enterprises, given their limited ability to adapt to change. In a meeting with Prohens, the presidents of PIMEM (Jordi Mora), PIMEE (Alfonso Rojo) and PIME-Formentera (Pep Mayas), together with the general secretary of PIME-Menorca (Maria Garcias), have requested a “positive discrimination” for SMEs in the regulatory development. According to the president of PIMEB, Juan Carlos Fernández, it is essential to adapt the regulations for micro and small companies that, due to their characteristics, do not have the same resources as large corporations. Fernández pointed out that “the reduction of working hours and the obligation to rest generate inequalities that hinder the growth of SMEs”. As an example, he pointed out the closing of restaurants for two days by collective agreement: “Add to this the reduction of working hours and the lack of personnel and the model becomes unviable”.
Insularity and financing
Another issue highlighted at the meeting was the need to compensate the cost overruns faced by island companies. PIMEB asked that the singular financing for the Balearic Islands contemplate the double and triple insularity, taking as a reference the model achieved by Catalonia. “Insularity continues to be an obstacle to growth and business competitiveness,” they said. For the employers, the improvement of financing could promote equality between local companies and those of the rest of the peninsular territory. They also raised the need for tax incentives or tax reductions for SMEs that comply with regulations that do not favor them. Finally, the businessmen reminded Prohens that SMEs represent 99% of companies, 70% of employment and contribute 60% of GDP at national level, so they urged the Govern to design policies more tailored to their specific needs.
