Alex Trelinski
THE national minimum wage in Spain has gone up to €1,000 per month, with the rise backdated to January 1.
An agreement was reached between the government and the major trade unions- the CCCO and UGT.
The wage is paid in 14 instalments at four-week intervals, taking the annual figure to exactly €14,000.
Speaking on Wednesday, Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz branded the accord as a ‘very important measure’.
The rise works out at €35 every four weeks, €4 more than had been proposed by the government at the start of the week.
It means that union demands for a monthly €1,000 minimum have been met, much to the ire of employers groups, the CEOE and Cepyme.
They said on Tuesday that they opposed the size of the wage rise.
They cited concerns over inflation and also that it could lead to rise in jobless numbers.
They referred to ‘political’ aspects of the deal coming in the wake of the government last week narrowly passing its Labour reforms and the impending regional elections in Castilla y Leon.
Yolanda Diaz said that when the government came to office in 2018, the minimum wage stood at €735 per month.
The objective is to reach 60% of the average national salary next year, which would mean a monthly minimum wage figure of around €1,050.
Diaz said that seeking to compete with other nations by pushing down salaries in the past had led to a weak economy and precarious businesses, and was profoundly unjust.
“We want to compete on the axis of productivity and not on the axis of low wages,” she added.
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