In the area of collective bargaining, Bufet Vallbé has always been a benchmark law firm for advising business organisations (health, dependency, social, education and research). We provide employment law advice to the following business organisations:

• UNIÓ CATALANA D’HOSPITALS (UCH)
• ASSOCIACIÓ CATALANA DE RECURSOS ASSISTENCIALS (ACRA)
• AGRUPACIÓ ESCOLAR CATALANA (AEC)
• DINCAT

We have actively participated in the negotiation of the following collective agreements:

a.- National level:

• National Dependency Framework Agreement

b.- Regional level:

• XHUP and Primary Care Centres Agreement
• Social Care and Mental Health Centres Agreement
• SISCAT Agreement
• Hospitals Agreement
• Home Help Agreement
• Free Time Agreement
• Education Agreement
• Mental Disability Workshop Agreement

c.- Company level

• Santa Creu i Sant Pau Hospital FGS Agreement (General Agreement and APCF Agreement)
• Santa Creu i Sant Pau Hospital Research Institute Agreement
• Hospital Clínic Agreement
• Sagrat Cor Hospital Agreement
• Clínica de Sabadell Agreement
• SEM, SA Agreement
• Bellvitge IDIBELL Research Institute Agreement
• UOC Agreement
• Intracatalònia Agreement (Catalonian News Agency)
• CCMA, SA Agreement (Televisió de Catalunya and Catalunya Ràdio)
• Partnership and Subcontracting Agreement

Our presence in the health sector has also allowed us to participate in the setting (either by agreement or unilateral imposition by the company) of working conditions for health institutions from the end of the ultra-activity of sectoral agreements, all of which have been validated by all levels of judicial authority.

This presence has also provided us with the opportunity to be active participants in all sectoral collective disputes which have arisen to date. For example: 5% remuneration reduction; implementation of a minimum 37.5 hour working week; extra pay reduction in December 2012; medical shifts, etc.

Our extensive experience in employment law cannot be summarised in a few lines, given its considerable extent accumulated over 40 years. But one of Bufet Vallbé’s main characteristics is our focus on advising companies and their senior executives. This approach has enabled us to achieve great expertise in areas such as:

• Sectorial collective bargaining (national and regional) and company
• Corporate restructuring
• Collective redundancies
• Modification of collective employment conditions
• Agreement opt out
• Service outsourcing processes and business subrogation

For better understanding, see below for an explanation in terms of the sectors in which we have the greatest presence.

Health and social care sector

The largest business organisation in this sector, UNIÓ CATALANA D’HOSPITALS, has been advised by Bufet Vallbé on employment and strategic matters almost since its inception, and the impact of the work of our firm in the setting of working conditions for the 50,000 workers of this sector is today indisputable. As is our essential dialogue with representatives and trade union leaders in this field. This makes it possible for us to take an active part in the negotiation of “all” related collective agreements:

• Catalonian Health Service Procurement Agreement (acute care hospitals, social care centres, primary care and mental health).
• Private Health Agreement (private health establishments and clinical testing laboratories).

Also noteworthy is our participation in all of the reorganisation that has taken place in the health sector (Manresa, Sabadell, etc.). In fact, because of the number of clients we have who entrust us with providing them with advice in this sector, no major restructuring operations have existed in which we have not participated, both within the public and private sectors:

• Public sector: Santa Creu i Sant Pau Health Management Foundation; Parc Taulí Health Corporation in Sabadell; Terrassa Health Consortium; Maresme Health Consortium; Vic Hospital Consortium; Baix Empordà Healthcare Consortium; Palamos Hospital; Pere Virgili Hospital; Seu d’Urgell Hospital; Berga Hospital; Figueres Hospital; Olot Regional Hospital in Garrotxa; the Primary Care Consortium; Transfronterer Hospital in Cerdanya; Catalonian Institute of Oncology.
• Private sector: QUIRON-IDC Group (HGC, HUSC, Clínica de Sabadell, ClÍnica del Pilar, Dexeus, Teknon, Quirón, etc.); Puigvert Foundation; Consultorio Dexeus, Hermanas Hospitalarias del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús (Benito Menni, Sagrat Cor in Martorell, etc.); Granollers Hospital; Martorell Hospital; L’Esperit Sant Hospital (Santa Coloma de Gramenet); Evangèlic Hospital; Guttmann Institute; Mollet Hospital; Berga Hospital; Mutuam; Clínica Barceloneta; Clínica Dental Miravé; EBAs (Dreta de l’Eixample, Poble Sec, Vallcarca, etc.).

Social sector

In this sector, we provide comprehensive advice (in all branches of law) to the largest business organisation in Catalonia in the field of dependency, ASSOCIACIÓ CATALANA DE RECURSOS ASSISTENCIALS (ACRA), as well as other business organisations more focused on the social area, such as DINCAT - AEES (Asociación Empresarial de Economía Social).

This has enabled us to become involved in the negotiation of some of the most emblematic collective agreements:

• National Dependency Framework Agreement
• Home Help Agreement
• Free Time Agreement
• Education Agreement
• Mental Disability Workshop Agreement
• 
  

Research sector

Special mention should also be made of Bufet Vallbé’s consolidation in the field of research as a result of the confidence placed in us by a number of centres: Santa Creu i Sant Pau Research Institute, Bellvitge Research Institute, Genomic Regulation Centre, Barcelona Regenerative Medicine Centre, Vall d’Hebron Cancer Research Institute, Parc Taulí Foundation and the Agrigenomic Research Centre, which have enabled us to participate in major reorganisation of the sector (BIOPOL, CNAG, etc.).

Education and university sector

Advising one of the most important business organisations in the education sector (AGRUPACIÓ ESCOLAR CATALANA) has provided us with a strategic position that enables us to not only actively participate in the negotiation of sector agreements and intervene in all collective disputes in the sector, but also to have prestigious schools as clients.

Also noteworthy is our growing presence in the university sector, which has enabled us to advise:

• THE UNIVERSITY OF VIC
• THE OPEN UNIVERSITY OF CATALONIA
• THE UNIVERSITY OF BARCELONA
• POMPEU FABRA UNIVERSITY
• We have been working with Pompeu Fabra University through the School of International Trade (ESCI) in the process of transforming the institution from a consortium to a foundation.

Audio-visual sector

Our presence in the audio-visual sector has grown in recent years since 2010, a year in which we began to provide comprehensive employment law advice to Corporación Catalana de Medios Audiovisuales and its subsidiary companies (Televisió de Catalunya and Catalunya Ràdio).

• CORPORACIÓ CATALANA DE MITJANS AUDIOVISUALS (TELEVISIÓ DE CATALUNYA; CATALUNYA RADIO)

• We represent the Corporation and its subsidiaries in individual and collective legal proceedings (before the Social Courts, the High Court of Justice of Catalonia and the Spanish High Court).
• We have participated in the negotiation of collective agreements for Televisió de Catalunya and Catalunya Ràdio. We have led the process of setting working conditions for the Corporation’s staff upon completion of the ultra-activity period of these agreements.
• INTRACATALÒNIA (Catalonian News Agency)

• We participated in the negotiation of its collective agreement.
• XARXA AUDIOVISUAL LOCAL

In the sectors in which Bufet Vallbé has its largest presence (health, social services, education and research), foundations and non-profit associations play an important role, and consequently we have extensive experience in advising these kinds of entity.

Our clients include the Althaia Foundation, ElBulliFoundation, Salut Empordà Foundation, Escoles Garbí Foundation, Granollers Hospital Foundation, Esperit Sant Hospital Foundation, Sant Joan de Déu Hospital Foundation in Martorell, Palamós Hospital Foundation, Guttmann Institute Foundation, Parc Taulí Foundation, Puigvert Foundation, CIC Cultural Institution and UOC Foundation.

As part of our comprehensive legal service, in many of these foundations, we assume the functions of secretary of their boards of trustees. Furthermore, we have participated in constituting foundations, adapting their bylaws, transforming associations into foundations, creating special funds and handling transactions such as mergers, spin-offs and total assignments of assets and liabilities.