How much do we pay those who care for us?

These days, a significant advance has been made for the salary equalization of the social action sector with public workers that aims to resolve a chronic inequality: according to data from the Department of Social Rights and Inclusion, the social sector is currently remuneratively 37% below the average public salaries. In the presentation of the measure, President Illa announced it as a way to "take care of those who take care of us".For a long time, social entities have suffered this injustice which makes it impossible to attract and retain talent in the care sector. Interested workers either do not decide to choose these professions, which often involve strong emotional and physical burdens, or, when they are there, they end up moving to better-paid sectors. A situation that drastically reduces the connection and social recognition of these professions, so necessary for justice and social cohesion, for dependency care and, ultimately, for offering opportunities to people. The Generalitat has committed to contributing annually approximately 150 million euros, up to a total of 600 million, to reduce this labor gap in four years. It is, without a doubt, a brave and determined policy aimed at reversing a situation that hinders the quality of support for people. Never before has such a notable contribution been made. But beyond good intentions, this commitment is still just a first step that needs to refine many aspects. To begin with, the measure will not reach the entire social sector. In the case of the Pere Tarrés Foundation, for example, only 3% of the more than 200 workers under the social action agreement will benefit from this equalization.And this is because the new salary model will not automatically extend to all administrations and legal instruments involved in the complex social services system. Some of these tendered or contracted services depend on municipalities and county councils, which through the so-called program contract may see their funding increased, but then the improvements must be effectively passed on to the entities and providers that end up providing the services. Current legislation and the complexity of administrative relations will also not facilitate the universal application of the model. Sometimes services are provided through tenders governed by a public procurement law that does not allow prices to be revised even though the applicable labor agreement between the social entity providing the service and the workers' representatives requires it. A real absurdity that condemns these conditions to be maintained throughout the entire duration of the tender, and even to be extended in subsequent mandatory extensions. To this must be added that some services are provided through subsidies from the Generalitat itself, which foresee economic limits set in the calls according to already obsolete parameters that have not been modified either. And if these aids do not grow, it will be difficult to equate salaries either in the case of those activities driven by the direct initiative of the entities.Finally, the announced improvement will only affect specialized services within the Department of Social Rights, but, on the other hand, other departments of the Generalitat, such as Labor, Justice, and Equality and Feminism, which also regulate and fund projects that reach the social sector, will not benefit. For the salary equalization that is proposed to be real and complete, a joint action by the entire Government in all directions would be necessary. In summary, this non-uniform application of the measure will generate more tension in collective bargaining, which necessarily must go up, and will place the services provided by entities with such reduced margins that they will not allow payment of all expenses, or directly with losses.The legislative initiative on the instruments for the provision of social services that is expected to be approved by Parliament before the end of the year could correct some of these inefficiencies, provided it foresees the adaptation of services to real costs. It is also urgent to amend the law on contracts to review and update prices and stop strangling the entities that provide services to people. Only fair and well-funded regulation will allow for quality in social services and will, once and for all, give prestige to the people who make their vocation their profession. Only a modern policy, which takes into account the current needs of the social sector, which reduces bureaucracy and administrative inefficiencies, and which applies a transversal and multi-departmental vision, will truly respond to this praiseworthy intention expressed by the president of taking care of those who take care of us. Of all of us, leaving no one behind.