A high-level meeting in Valencia highlighted the ongoing collaboration between the region’s key social and economic actors to modernize how labor conflicts are resolved. Participants included the president of the Valencian Community Business Confederation, the secretary general of UGT-PV, and the secretary general of CCOO PV. The gathering, which also featured the participation of the Minister of Sustainable Economy, Productive Sectors, Trade and Employment and the Director General for Labour, Welfare and Safety, marked the launch of the VII Agreement for Autonomous Resolution of Business Conflicts. The event showcased a shared commitment to enhancing out-of-court mechanisms for addressing workplace disputes through mediation and arbitration under the Valencia Community Mediation and Arbitration Court, known as TAL.
TAL serves as a collaborative institution created by the region’s most representative trade unions and business organizations. It operates under the umbrella of the Ministry of Sustainable Economy and provides legal personality and administrative support to a system designed to resolve labor disagreements outside the courts in the Valencian Community.
During the remarks, the president of the business confederation emphasized the success of the autonomous dispute-resolution framework. He noted that the approach not only preserves a constructive working climate within companies but also yields tangible economic benefits. He highlighted that many conflicts are resolved through negotiated settlements, which reduces work stoppages. In 2021, a total of 258 mediation cases were processed, and the settlements reached led to the cancellation of more than eight hundred thousand hours of strike activity, translating into an economic value exceeding sixteen million euros.
The same speaker reiterated the value of social dialogue as the cornerstone of a modern labor relations system. A robust dialogue and consensus-building approach is seen as the key to strengthening the competitiveness of firms and stimulating economic activity for the broader public interest.
The minister congratulated the social institutions for their collaborative efforts and reiterated support for the function carried out by TAL. He suggested that whenever a dispute arises within the business sphere, mediation should be pursued as a first option, underscoring that mediation agreements typically yield better outcomes for both workers and employers compared with protracted conflicts. The directive from the Labor Arbitration Tribunal echoed this sentiment, affirming that mediation remains the preferable path whenever possible to improve the workplace environment and achieve timely agreements.