Spanish Public Sector Workers Demand Salary Increases Amid Negotiations
Union representatives express concerns as the Ministry of Public Function sidesteps key salary negotiations for the coming years.
On Monday, union representatives from Spain's public sector faced disappointment after a long-awaited meeting with the Ministry of Digital Transformation and Public Function yielded no progress on their primary wage demands.
Despite two meetings occurring on the same day—with one attended by the trade unions CC OO and UGT in the morning, and CSIF joining in the afternoon—the Ministry, headed by Óscar López, did not commit to any of the requested salary adjustments.
Unions are advocating for a pending salary increase of 0.5% for 2024, a raise for 2025, and a clearer framework for salary adjustments over the upcoming three years.
A source familiar with the negotiations noted, "They did not engage in anything substantial.”
There are over three million public workers across the various administrations in Spain, and unions assert that the government should have addressed their situation before the end of last year, which marked the conclusion of the _Acuerdo Marco para una Administración del Siglo XXI_.
This previous agreement included provisions for salary improvements for the 2022-2024 period, structured around fixed and variable increases linked to inflation developments.
The outstanding 0.5% is the last clause pending approval from that agreement; however, only a technical matter regarding partial retirement eligibility was settled during the recent meetings.
The new agreement on the additional rate established with CC OO and UGT—both of which signed the prior framework, while CSIF opted out—aims to resolve issues stemming from recent legislation passed on December 18, which complicates the partial retirement process for public workers by mandating that a replacement worker be hired on a permanent, full-time basis.
This new rate is designed to function outside of the replacement rate ceiling—determining how many positions can be filled based on vacancies rather than personnel needs—thus facilitating the hiring of replacements.
Union leaders have raised concerns over the dependency of salary negotiations on the approval of the national budget.
They believe the government intends to shift the burden of public employee salary determinations to other political parties, hoping for their support in advancing the state budget.
This tactic has proven ineffective in previous negotiations, and union representatives argue it is unnecessary, as increases could be executed through a royal decree, as was done in October 2023 and June 2024.
The 0.5% salary increase, once approved, would also be retroactive to January 1, 2024, potentially improving the pay of public employees and providing back compensation for the period owed.
On a different front, CSIF organized a demonstration outside the Ministry of Finance, which is responsible for approving public salary increases, but announced that further street actions would be paused until outcomes from future discussions are assessed.
Meanwhile, CC OO is pushing forward with plans for a protest scheduled for April 8.
Union officials indicated that a new meeting is anticipated for next week, although no specific date has yet been set.
Despite two meetings occurring on the same day—with one attended by the trade unions CC OO and UGT in the morning, and CSIF joining in the afternoon—the Ministry, headed by Óscar López, did not commit to any of the requested salary adjustments.
Unions are advocating for a pending salary increase of 0.5% for 2024, a raise for 2025, and a clearer framework for salary adjustments over the upcoming three years.
A source familiar with the negotiations noted, "They did not engage in anything substantial.”
There are over three million public workers across the various administrations in Spain, and unions assert that the government should have addressed their situation before the end of last year, which marked the conclusion of the _Acuerdo Marco para una Administración del Siglo XXI_.
This previous agreement included provisions for salary improvements for the 2022-2024 period, structured around fixed and variable increases linked to inflation developments.
The outstanding 0.5% is the last clause pending approval from that agreement; however, only a technical matter regarding partial retirement eligibility was settled during the recent meetings.
The new agreement on the additional rate established with CC OO and UGT—both of which signed the prior framework, while CSIF opted out—aims to resolve issues stemming from recent legislation passed on December 18, which complicates the partial retirement process for public workers by mandating that a replacement worker be hired on a permanent, full-time basis.
This new rate is designed to function outside of the replacement rate ceiling—determining how many positions can be filled based on vacancies rather than personnel needs—thus facilitating the hiring of replacements.
Union leaders have raised concerns over the dependency of salary negotiations on the approval of the national budget.
They believe the government intends to shift the burden of public employee salary determinations to other political parties, hoping for their support in advancing the state budget.
This tactic has proven ineffective in previous negotiations, and union representatives argue it is unnecessary, as increases could be executed through a royal decree, as was done in October 2023 and June 2024.
The 0.5% salary increase, once approved, would also be retroactive to January 1, 2024, potentially improving the pay of public employees and providing back compensation for the period owed.
On a different front, CSIF organized a demonstration outside the Ministry of Finance, which is responsible for approving public salary increases, but announced that further street actions would be paused until outcomes from future discussions are assessed.
Meanwhile, CC OO is pushing forward with plans for a protest scheduled for April 8.
Union officials indicated that a new meeting is anticipated for next week, although no specific date has yet been set.
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Translated by AI
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