The Government approves this Tuesday an extraordinary aid for workers affected by the fires. Specifically, the Council of Ministers will give the green light to the Royal Decree-law of urgent labor and social protection measures against the forest fires of 2026, promoted by the Ministry of Labor, which includes a new benefit for the entire fire season.
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Sources from the department led by Yolanda Díaz explain that the Royal Decree-law establishes an extraordinary package of labor measures to protect people affected by the forest fires that have led to the declaration of a national interest emergency, especially in the Community of Madrid, Ávila, and Toledo, although the regulation will also apply to any fire that leads to civil protection measures during the 2026 high-risk fire campaign.
The new extraordinary SEPE benefit for extreme emergency will be contributory in nature and will be intended for workers who must temporarily suspend their contract due to causes directly derived from the fires.
Specifically, those who cannot work because they cannot access their home due to evacuations or restrictions decreed by the authorities; those who must carry out essential tasks of cleaning, moving, recovering belongings, or rebuilding their home; those who need to carry out administrative procedures in person derived from the emergency; or those who have to attend to caregiving responsibilities for family members affected by the fires will be able to access this benefit.
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The benefit presents an exceptional regime, so it does not require a minimum contribution period, it is equivalent to 70% of the regulatory base (which is the equivalent proportion in the calculation of the unemployment benefit for the first six months), has a maximum duration of four months and does not consume accumulated contributions for future unemployment benefits.
The decree promoted by Yolanda Díaz also strengthens other labor rights. Specifically, it incorporates additional guarantees to avoid labor harm derived from the emergency: “any employer retaliation for exercising these rights will be considered null,” sources from the Ministry indicate. In addition, the bereavement leave is extended. When the death is related to the fires, the paid leave is extended up to five working days after the burial, both for salaried workers and cooperative members.
The Ministry of Labor also clarifies that the measures will have retroactive effects from July 23, 2026, although the decree enters into force after its publication in the BOE. “Furthermore, they will continue to apply as long as the circumstances that justify them persist, even if the fires have already been extinguished,” the Ministry assures.