Agreement for salary equalization of the 120,000 workers in the social sector

BarcelonaThe Generalitat, employers' associations from the social sector, and the CCOO and UGT unions signed an agreement this Wednesday to achieve full salary equalization for the 120,000 professionals working in the fields of geriatric residences, disability, childhood, drug addiction, and mental health. The pact establishes gradual salary increases until 2030, the year in which workers hired by private companies are expected to have the same salary as those under an administration agreement. To achieve this, the Department of Social Rights and Inclusion will establish a new financing system for companies, which links an increase in the public tariff to an effective increase in payrolls.

Currently, the average salary gap stands at 37%, but in areas such as residences, which employ 66% of professionals, it increases to 42%. Low wages and the significant difference with public sectors have been the battleground for workers in geriatric and leisure facilities and the reason why half of female workers and social educators decide to leave their jobs to find better-paying occupations. Cuts resulting from various crises froze social tariffs, the price the administration pays companies for contracted or outsourced services and places. However, even since the government of Pere Aragonès made the first increase starting in 2023, companies have not always passed on this extra money to salary improvements.

An external audit estimated the salary gap at 600 million euros. Given the impossibility of the Generalitat disbursing this amount at once, it has committed to putting an additional 150 million euros on the table each year until 2030, on the condition that it goes entirely into the pockets of the workers and not for the improvement of equipment or business results. To make this possible, companies must first demonstrate that they have increased staff salaries beyond inflation, and those that have made the greatest effort will be rewarded with more money.

This way, the one-size-fits-all approach, meaning the equal social tariff increases for everyone that currently apply, will end. Social Rights proposes a calculation based on a new indicator that takes into account the average salary of each company's workforce and the commitment to increase for the year. One of the three tiers of increases provided for in the agreement will be applied: the CPI, 6.38%, and 8.14%.

Controls and monitoring

In the agreement reached with companies and the two majority unions in the sector, control and monitoring mechanisms for company compliance are established, which will have to certify whether they have made effective the salary increase committed to the council. With this incentive formula, the department is confident that the resulting competitiveness to retain staff will be the key factor for the majority of companies with contracted services and places – with public funding – to request to join the system.

But if any company opts to continue with current funding, the Government assures that it will do everything possible to ensure no worker is left behind. "The market will force companies, and if not, the Generalitat will act," they say from the administration, insisting that tariff increases can only be used for salary increases or for the improvement of workers' working conditions.

According to the council's data, the average salary in the social sector is 18,400 euros per year. One third of companies pay below the average of 19,000 euros and only 4% are in the upper threshold. The forecasts are that, based on these incentives for effort, those that pay less will be reduced by half and, on the other hand, those that pay above the average will increase by between 20% and 25%.