Moderation prevails in the agreements signed with an increase of 2.6%, the lowest of the major European powers
If closing a salary agreement is a complicated task (the previous collective agreement dates from July 2019 and took months and months of wrangling), 2022 is this year, with runaway inflation of more than 10% and a war between them. intensifying and leading the economies into recession seems almost a utopia. And certainly if it largely depends on an income agreement that everyone is talking about, but no one lays their cards on the table.
Not even the government, which brought unions and employers together again last Wednesday, but without much success for the time being. The points of view are very bitter and in the meantime a large part of the agreements is stuck, without seeing the light.
The little that was specified from that meeting by the first vice president, Nadia Calviño, is that the new increase in the minimum wage will play a fundamental role in this income pact which could also include increasing the number of civil servants. “We will do everything we can to reach this agreement with government decisions such as the increase in the minimum wage,” Calviño reiterated.
Another measure that is sure to cause controversy. Because while the unions are demanding an increase in the SMI no lower than inflation, which amounts to around 1,100 euros, employers are calling for restraint and warning that this could affect employment.
In the same way, the pact with the officials also seems a long way off, as the unions demand a review of that 2% increase approved for this year and specify a multi-year agreement that in no way entails a loss of purchasing power and even allows something to be returned. gain purchasing power.
For the rest of wage earners, who make up the bulk of the workforce, the moderation marks the wage increases recorded this year; in particular, the wages agreed in collective labor agreements up to and including August rose by an average of 2.6%. Despite being the largest increase in more than a decade, it is the lowest increase of major European economies, well below Germany (5.5%) and the EU average (4.5%).
In any case, a large inequality is observed according to economic activity: from 1.1% in the banking and insurance sector and 1.6% in hotels, to 3.7% in professional, scientific and technical activities, and 3.3 % in transportation.
More than 7.1 million workers have already agreed their salary terms for 2022, although the vast majority have negotiated thanks to agreements already signed and only 1.2 million have negotiated this year. There are still many waiting for a rise, because before the pandemic it was common for between 10 and 11 million workers to be protected by agreement.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
