The CNMC investigates Amazon Apple possible agreement between the two to impose restrictions on competition - The National Commission for Markets and Competition is investigating Amazon and Apple for possible anti-competitive practices in the internet sales sector. Specifically, the independent body, attached to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation led by Nadia Calviño, refers to a possible agreement between both companies to impose restrictions on competition.

CNMC investigates Amazon Apple possible agreement: The CNMC, which has announced that it has initiated a case for "possible unlawful conduct", points out in a statement that it has obtained indications that the two tech giants would have agreed restrictions on matters relating to the retail sale of Apple products by third companies through the Amazon website.

The entity chaired by Cani Fernández also suspects that US companies have carried out irregular activities in certain advertising of Apple's competing products and in "certain campaigns directed to Apple customers by Amazon", among "other commercial restrictions", which the body does not specify.

CNMC investigates Amazon Apple possible agreement

"The CNMC has had access to certain information from which it can be deduced the existence of rational indications of the commission by Amazon and Apple of an infringement of Articles 1 of Law 15/2007, of 3 July on the Protection of Competition (LDC) and 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU)", points out in the statement.

CNMC investigates Amazon Apple possible agreement: The file, according to the CNMC, "does not prejudge the final outcome of the investigation". Now the public body has a period of 18 months to continue to elaborate on the investigations and to issue a final resolution on this matter.

The Apple subsidiaries under CNMC's magnifying glass are Distribution International Ltd., Apple Retail Spain, S. L., and Apple Marketing Iberia, S. A. For Amazon, the CNMC investigates Amazon Services Europe S. À.R. L., Amazon Europe Core S. À.R. L., Amazon EU S. A.RL, and Amazon Online Spain, S. L.

CNMC investigates Amazon Apple possible agreement

This is not the first time Amazon has seen them with the CNMC. The company led by Jeff Bezos has already been investigated by the agency based at number 47 of Madrid's Calle Alcalá. Last year it concluded that Amazon must comply with postal regulations. At that time, the subsidiaries investigated were Amazon Spain Fulfillment, S. L. and Amazon Road Transport Spain, S. L.

CNMC investigates Amazon Apple possible agreement

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Labor reform: Labor bets on the discontinuous fixed contract to curb temporality and prohibit layoffs in companies that take advantage of the new ERTE of reduction of working hours

While the climate of tension between the employers and the Government reaches unprecedented levels in this legislature due to the proposals of the Ministry of Labor for the partial repeal of the last labor reform, details of the last draft reform that the ministry sent to the social agents continue to be revealed, which includes measures to curb temporality, create a new type of ERTE for after the pandemic and prohibit layoffs in companies that take advantage of this regime.

Specifically, the work proposal includes promoting the discontinuous fixed contract and restricting temporary hiring only to cases in which there are unforeseen increases in production or substitutions, according to El País, which highlights that the ministry seeks that the discontinuous fixed contract, which until now was used almost exclusively in tourism campaigns, agriculture or in the canning industry, be used in seasonal seasons of work of other professions.

The department that leads the third vice-chairman, Yolanda Diaz, also has proposed to tighten the causes for which it may modify the terms of salary, working hours, shift or functions or systems of work equiparándolas to collective redundancies, to limit the duration of the modifications to the causes that have led to and incorporate the union in the negotiation of those changes that do not have legal representation of workers.

In addition, the proposal allows workers affected by these modifications of working conditions to refuse to comply with them, compared to the model of the labor reform of 2012, which establishes that, if the changes harm the employee, he can leave his job with a compensation of 20 days per year worked, according to the newspaper of the Prisa Group.

With respect to the covenants of the company, which lost its prevalence on the sectoral Work bet limit changes that might introduce an enterprise agreement with respect to the remuneration and allowances that have been agreed in the agreement, as well as to eliminate the possibility of modifying the working day, allowing only that is to vary the distribution by hours.

The measures proposed by the Ministry of Labour to modify the labour reform also include the so-called Employment Sustainability Mechanism (MSE), the new type of ERTE that will be implemented structurally after the coronavirus pandemic and that will allow companies that suffer unforeseen events that prevent their activity to reduce the working hours of their employees and receive state aid to ensure their survival.

Among its conditions, it includes the need for approval by the labor authority, the creation of a fund to grant benefits or bonuses to companies that use this mechanism, which will be financed with European funds, unused unemployment benefits and fines for ERE to companies that lay off older workers, while it does not contemplate continuing to offer the affected workers the additional benefits they currently enjoy.

Beyond this change, the MSE maintains the obligation to maintain the employment and the prohibition of new hires, overtime, or externalizaciones companies that are subject to this new type of ERTE, although it is yet to define what will be the penalties for companies that fail to comply with this commitment, which currently involves the return of the bonuses received during the ERTE.

These changes have provoked the rejection of the CEOE employers, which on Wednesday called the labor proposals Marxist, claiming that they will damage hiring and employment, hardening its tone with respect to its previous objections to the partial repeal of the labor reform. However, Yolanda Díaz already warned in February that the bosses do not have the right of veto over this reform and, although he assured that he will seek consensus, he stressed that he could approve it without his support.