Sánchez boasts about the increase in public sector salaries: "It legitimizes government action"
The agreement to raise wages by more than 11% until 2028 has been signed by UGT and CSIF, but not by CCOO.
MadridAmid the crossfire between the Ministry of Labor and the Spanish employers' association CEOE over the blocking of the social dialogue table for improving workplace safety, Pedro Sánchez chose to preside over the signing of an agreement between the Ministry for Digital Transformation and Public Administration and two of the largest civil servants' unions, UGT and CSIF, to raise salaries by more than 2% by 2028 (inclusive). "These are the agreements that legitimize government action," Sánchez argued this Thursday during the closing ceremony. He also stated that steps like this are what "guarantee stability and the ability to look to the long term." Finally, CCOO did not join the agreement. The truth is that Sánchez found in this Thursday's event with union representatives the only lifeline with which to boast about his government's management, but above all, its stability. His remarks came shortly after Congress rejected the deficit and debt targets, a necessary step before drafting the state budget, with Junts, PP, and Vox voting against them. They also coincided with the Supreme Court's decision to send former Socialist minister José Luis Ábalos and his former advisor Koldo García to prison. because of the corruption case that has cornered the executive and, in particular, the PSOE.
"It's a very good agreement," Sánchez emphasized, adding that "the country wins." After a long back-and-forth, including a threatened strike, the Ministry of Public Administration, the UGT and CSIF unions reached an agreement to increase the salaries of 3.5 million public employees by 11% until 2028. The CCOO union did not sign the agreement, although Sánchez expressed their approval. "[The agreement] is, humbly, the roadmap this coalition government has always followed: to seek an agreement that is good for our public servants, good for the citizens, and fully aligned with this European project, which is logically part of our DNA, not exclusively, but also that of the union representatives."
The wage agreement is accompanied by other commitments such as the gradual elimination of the replacement rate, which limits public employment offers to those leaving due to retirement, and improvements in selection processes, working hours, career development, retirement and work permits.