The fixed-term contract, the Spanish route to flexibility? Women in the retail sector in the Barcelona region

The recent process of globalization of the economy has revived the debate o n types of work contracts throughout Europe, and flexible employment has be en strongly advocated as a solution to problems like persistent unemploymen t and decreasing competitiveness. Spain has experienced a recent political development rather different from that of the European core, which has shap ed a peculiar form of labour market regulation and which has led to the cou ntry's indisputable and undesirable leadership in Europe in terms of the pr oportion of short-term contracts. This article addresses some basic issues of the 'flexibilization' of labour relations in the Spanish context, with p articular emphasis on the retail sector in Barcelona.