Mossos d'Esquadra sub-inspectors attempt a strike to demand salary increases

BarcelonaSub-inspectors are the quintessential mid-level officers in the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police force). Just above sergeants and below inspectors, there are 414 officers with this rank, responsible for supervising units, groups, and subgroups. In other words, they often act as a liaison between the rank-and-file officers—the first line of defense when investigating or patrolling the streets—and the executive or upper echelon, comprised of the force's chiefs and coordinators. "We translate strategic decisions into operational work," sources within this rank explain, adding that their responsibilities are very similar to those of inspectors, especially when on duty. However, sub-inspectors have been fighting for months: they believe their duties are not commensurate with their salaries.

"The salary assigned to sub-inspectors, compared to the salaries assigned to the other professional categories, is lower than what they should be entitled to. This imbalance has led to a feeling of neglect and the creation of a platform that unites all sub-inspectors in a cohesive and cross-cutting manner in July," united with a single demand addressed to the Director of the Police, then Pere Ferrer – currently the position is held by Josep Lluís Trapero. In that letter, they attached an extensive empirical study of the salaries and their evolution to demonstrate the comparative disadvantage they suffer, they claim.

The talks began with Ferrer at the helm, and shortly after taking office, Trapero also let them know that he was keeping them in mind: "I appreciate your effort in rigorously and thoroughly conveying your considerations. I ask, however, for time to evaluate and study them in depth." This was a letter to the sub-inspectors of the force, dated September 6, 2024.

Joint action

Now, however, this wait has begun to drag on. According to union sources, the Police Council has also been negotiating this demand for months, but these same sources admit that it is a "slow" process. According to the sub-inspectors, salary increases agreed upon in recent years have distanced them financially from inspectors (one rank above) and brought them closer to sergeants (one rank below).

While this solution is pending, on Wednesday the sub-inspectors staged a protest, which was not coordinated by the union: many of them, approximately 60% of all officers of that rank, according to the organizers, requested a personal day off, a way to highlight their demands. They wanted to carry out a "symbolic" action. Sources within the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) state that 60 of these requests were granted. That is, approximately 15% of the sub-inspectors did not go to work that day. However, sources within the sub-inspection community lament that the vast majority of these requests were denied, arguing that they were not submitted with ten days' notice – a condition that, they add, is not usually met in practice.

The internal statement

However, sources within the sub-inspectors' circle claim that their actions have already had initial consequences: that same day, the General Directorate of the Police posted a statement on the Mossos d'Esquadra's internal intranet, which ARA has accessed, affirming that they are moving towards a "historic" agreement to improve the force's working conditions. "To date, 14 working sessions have been held with the force's representative unions to identify the most pressing issues. This joint effort has allowed us to define and quantify a new framework of working conditions that builds upon the improvements achieved in the 2023 Agreement, introducing significant advancements," the statement reads, adding that these agreements are expected to be further defined at a meeting next week.