In the clauses is the key to the failure of the salary negotiation between employers and unions. This morning it has been put in evidence again, when CC.OO. and UGT have made a proposal for a salary increase of 8% staggered over three years, therefore very similar to the one accepted by the CEOE, but with revision clauses based on inflation; something that the bosses flatly rejected.
The general secretaries of the UGT and CC.OO., Pepe Álvarez and Unai Sordo, have announced their proposal, which consists of an increase in salaries of 3.5% this year, 2.5% in 2023 and 2% in 2024, with revision clauses if year-on-year inflation exceeds the digits of the agreed increases.
It is what the unions will recommend for all the agreements pending to be negotiated, and with notice that, without an agreement, the mobilizations are assured. If the agreements do not include increases that allow workers to recover lost purchasing power, “in the coming weeks, in the coming days, we are going to go to a process of calling mobilizations,” said Pepe Álvarez, from UGT.
If there is no agreement, “unquestionably, there will be a mobilization process that will begin before the summer, but that will continue later around the negotiation of collective agreements”, said Unai Sordo, from CC.OO, and then went directly to employers’ organizations and point out to them that “this is serious”.
The agreement was reached at a meeting held by the two unions this morning, after the negotiations with the employers broke down and on Tuesday, the CEOE made its recommendation public, which consists of moderating wages. The employer does not specify figures, although it informally suggests that 3.5% this year is a very acceptable figure as long as it does not include a wage guarantee clause.
On the part of the unions, their position is based on inflation forecasts that continue to rise, and that according to the Bank of Spain will be 4% in December and an average of 7.5% for the year; with a subsequent decrease to 2% and 3% in 2023 and 2024. “All this reaffirms the need for a more forceful income policy, which guarantees real stability of salaries and that retroactive salary guarantee clauses are incorporated into the agreements groups that are pending negotiation and agreement”, says the document agreed by CC.OO. and UGT.
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