Overheard in the office

[gorkabear]

According to the Spanish laws regarding work, there's a general commong ground called "Estatuto de los trabajadores" and then each sector has specific agreements, signed between representatives of companies (Patronal) and unions (sindicatos) which rule things such as cattegories, improvements over the Estatuto. Moreover, big companies have workers

Comments

[uneasytruce]

I'm worried for you.

One thing I've learned, working globally in IT, is that our jobs are very portable. It's the reason I am also opposed to mandatory pay raises, and across-the-board redefinition of categories. These things strike companies as expensive (whether they really are or not) and inspire them to move our job functions to cheaper countries. Just like there are far cheaper venues for IT than North America, there are far cheaper venues than Spain. All of the greed espoused by North American conglomerates has been learned by, say, German IT and telecommunications firms.

Good managers learn to treat employees well regardless of pay or category. In IT, that means ensuring we develop employees--not focus on pay. For me, it also means ensuring a long, rich, interesting career path independent of guaranteed working conditions.

I hope you and your team, your discipline in your nation, do not strike. When you compare your work conditions with your friends in the US, please remember that you are comparing your work conditions with your friends in the US who still have jobs. Our numbers are falling every single day.

Good luck.

[gorkabear]

Yes
If I got better work conditions. But that's not the case. It's not the case to have good managers (I barely have had 1 out of 5) and career path? Everything step up in the ladder is welded shut in our corporate culture unless you're a vulture or a whore (probably you have to be both).

Assuring rights via legislation is the only way we have here. And outsourcing? They'll do anyway. We have LatinAmerica. Most call centers are going there already, and a company such as INDRA makes most of his work there as well.