directorate general for administration and public employment

time credits of trade union association board members

Trade union association board members benefit from time credits, corresponding to four working days per month that may be enjoyed in half-day periods. Only trade union associations’ members whose identification has been reported to the Directorate General for Administration and Public Employment (DGAEP) may have justified absences to the service related to the enjoyment of time credits of which they are beneficiaries.

Rules of proportionality

National Directorate
The maximum number of trade union board members that benefit from time credits legally laid down is calculated according to the number of respective members, in proportion to a member for each two hundred associate members or fraction, until the maximum limit of 50 members.

Regional Directorates
The maximum number of regional basis structures board members that benefit from time credits legally stipulated, until the maximum limit of seven structures, is calculated according to the number of respective associate members, in proportion to one member for each two hundred associate members or fraction corresponding to, at least, 100 associate members, until the maximum limit of 20 board members of each structure.

District Directorates
The maximum number of district basis structures board members that benefit from the time credits legally laid down, up to the maximum limit of eighteen structures, is calculated according to the number of respective associate members, in proportion to one member for each two hundred associate members or fraction corresponding to, at least, 100 associate members, until the maximum limit of 7 board members of each structure.

Trade union associations’ representatives of local authority public employees

In trade union associations’ representatives of local authority public employees, the maximum number of board members who benefit from time credits is calculated according to the number of unionized public employees in each municipality in the following proportion:

  • Municipality in which between 25 and 49 unionized public employees fulfil functions – 1 member;
  • Municipality in which between 50 and 99 unionized public employees fulfil functions – 2 members;
  • Municipality in which between 100 and 199 unionized public employees fulfil functions – 3 members;
  • Municipality in which between 200 and 499 unionized public employees fulfil functions – 4 members;
  • Municipality in which between 500 and 999 unionized public employees fulfil functions – 6 members;
  • Municipality in which between 1,000 and 1,999 unionized public employees fulfil functions– 7 members;
  • Municipality in which between 2,000 and 4,999 unionized public employees fulfil functions– 8 members;
  • Municipality in which between 5,000 and 9,999 unionized public employees fulfil functions – 10 members;
  • Municipality in which 10,000 or more unionized public employees fulfil functions – 12 members

Transfer of time credits

There is a possibility of each board (national, regional or district structure) to transfer time credits to other members of the same board structure, provided that in each calendar year, the global amount of time credits granted to the trade union association shall not be exceeded and that such fact be reported to DGAEP within a minimum of 15 days in advance.

Besides transfer there may be accumulation of time credits between beneficiaries’ board members.

Any transfer and accumulation must be reported to the services of those concerned.  

Duty to report to the Directorate General for Administration and Public Employment (DGAEP)

Each trade union association must report to DGAEP:

  • Up to 15 January of each calendar year and in the 15 days subsequent to any change of the respective board composition:

- Total number of associate members – for calculation of the national board members number that may benefit from the time credits;
- Number, type and identification of structures and associate members number of each one (only in the case of existing regional and/or district based structures);
- Number and identification of municipalities and number of unionized public employees of each one (only in the case of trade union associations representatives of local authority public employees);
- Identification of board members who benefit from time credits and respective service of origin, for each board structure (national, regional and district) or municipality.

  • With a minimum 15 days in advance:

- Transfer and accumulation of time credits between the board members identified or transferred to other members within the same board structure (only in the case such transfer exists).

  • At the end of each calendar year:

- All time credits actually enjoyed per month, own and accumulated, by all beneficiaries board members, with indication of the transferor beneficiary(ies) member(s) for each accumulated credit day.

Absences for the fulfilment of trade union activity

In addition to time credits, corresponding to four day work per month, beneficiaries’ board members have still the right to justified absences. These absences are taken into consideration for all legal effects as actual service save as to compensation.

The other board members have the right to justified absences up to the limit of 33 absences per year, that are taken into consideration for all legal effects as actual service, save as to compensation.