Jesús Caldera

Jesús Caldera Sánchez-Capitán (Béjar, Salamanca, October 31, 1957) is a Spanish socialist politician. He holds degrees in political science and sociology from the Complutense University of Madrid and a law degree from UNED.He was Minister of Labor during the eighth legislature of the Spanish government (2008-2011).

Born in Béjar (Salamanca Province) in 1957, Jesús Caldera began his career at the beginning of the 1980s when he joined the public administration as a city manager in the province of Salamanca.

He became a member of the Spanish Congress of Deputies for Salamanca Province in the second legislature (1982). After José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero was elected Secretary General of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), he was named speaker of the Socialist Group (2000–2004).

In the 37th Congress of the Socialist Workers' Party held in July 2008, Caldera was named Secretary of the Ideas and Programs.

Minister of Labour and Social Issues (2004-2008)

After the PSOE victory in March, 2004, President José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero entrusted Caldera with one of the most important responsibilities within the Executive Committee: to lead the Ministry of Labor and Social Issues, an office he assumed on April 18, 2004.Caldera signed over twenty social and labor agreements while leading this ministry.

Key labor reforms: Caldera raised the minimum wage to 600 euros/month, built consensus with social agents for labor reform as well as social security that allowed for the creation of more jobs with permanent contracts and improved payments to the neediest groups, at the same time he guaranteed the future of the system by making early retirement more difficult. Additionally, he brought forward the independent contractors statute and put a plan in place to reduce workplace accidents.

Key social reforms: Caldera created a new right, the right of dependent people to get assistance, raised paternity leave days from four to fifteen. Further, his ministry was charged with migratory policies and (along with social agents) to regularize more than half a million immigrants.

After Caldera left the Ministry of Labor in April 2008, it was announced that his new challenge was to create, put in motion and preside over a large think tank, the IDEAS Foundation for progress that would unite the smaller foundations tied to the PSOE.

This foundation’s mission would be to create new ideas and projects for the party with the objective of staying abreast of social change and offering up to date solutions.