Narratives, myths and prejudice in understanding employment systems: The case of rigidities, dismissals and flexibility in Spain

This contribution is intended to understand the complex issues that underpin the debate on 'free labour markets' and job dismissal that has become very important in the context of the current economic crisis. Irrespective of economic debates and their nuances, the article focuses on the way related debates are shaped and how discussions about industrial relations, the labour market and even the economy are structured. The article discusses this in the context of Spain, where the debate has become a touchstone of national concern and external images of the country. In the case of Spanish industrial relations, the free dismissal discourse has been and still is vital for defining the way policy is prescribed, constructed and constrained.