The open-ended contract tied to a specific project in the construction sector. A critical assessment after five years in effect

Abstract

This paper analyses the open-ended project-assigned contract (contrato indefinido adscrito a obra) in the construction sector after five years in force, paying particular attention to its legal configuration, the role of collective bargaining and the main interpretative issues arising from its termination regime. Based on a legal, doctrinal and collective bargaining analysis, it argues that, despite the formal transition from the former fixed-term project contract to an open-ended arrangement, significant elements of material continuity with the previous model remain, thus calling into question the real scope of the reform beyond its statistical impact on temporary employment.