Despite their refusal, the meeting, which the employers were also invited to, will be held at 09.30 in the Oval Hall of the Ministry of Labor and Social Economy.
Ministry of Labor and Social Economy Coming to the table with a bifurcation increase of 4.6% to 8.2% for 2023It will place the SMI at 1,046 euros gross per month for fourteen payments in the first case and 1,082 euros in the second case, as suggested by the portfolio head, Yolanda Díaz, in the Commission of Experts report presented Monday.
The government hopes to fulfill its promise to upgrade SMI. Equivalent to 60% of the average Spanish salary in 2023, because unions are also in favor of raising the minimum wage. However, demand for both CCOO and UGT is growing above what is recommended by the Department of Labor’s Commission of Experts.
CCOO will raise an SMI between 1,082 and 1,100 euros per month at the social dialogue tables, ie 82 to 100 euros more per month than the current amount and is above the Working starting range. UGT also advocates a more ambitious increase and proposes the SMI to be 1,100 euros in 2023, 10% more than the current amount.
Díaz refrained from expressing “his position” on what the increase in SMI should be for 2023but, as other countries have already done, he was in favor of a review of the SMI in the next six months if Spain’s economic situation required it.
The Labor Minister also did not set a closing date for the negotiations at the dialogue table, leaving open the possibility of ratifying the SMI in January, knowing that there are only two Cabinets left until the end of the year. , retroactively.
Tensions between the Labor Party and the CEOE
Díaz insisted at Monday’s press conference that all social units, both unions and employers, would be summoned to the meeting this Wednesday.
Despite the statement of the Minister of Labor, CEOE had already announced last week that the dialogue with the Ministry was broken.What they deem to be “invalid as a trusted interlocutor” as it introduces an amendment to the Labor Code that returns control to the Department of Labor Regulation Files (ERE).
Spanish businessmen have assured that this issue is clearly left out of labor reform negotiations in order to reach an agreement, so they oppose talking to Labor until Yolanda’s portfolio gets a “fix” from Diaz.
CEOE chief Antonio Garamendi confirmed in Valencia this Tuesday: Employers will not attend the Labor Party meeting, although they will respond in writing to the Government’s proposals.
Garamendi explained that the reason why they did not sit down at this social dialogue table was that businessmen signed “probably the most important agreement” implying labor reform, and now it is “planned to amend Article 51 by royal decree”. ” returns control to the ERE Ministry.
In addition, businessmen will also convene Boards of Directors this Wednesday, which met before Díaz summoned social agents.
Spanish explanations
The second vice-president and Minister of Labor denied on Monday that ties with employers had been broken and assured that all open dialogue tables would continue to fulfill their mandate.
However, he asked social agents to abide by their constitutional mandates and warned businessmen that if someone didn’t sit down for negotiation, they would “have to explain to the Spaniards hit by inflation”.
“Anyone who doesn’t show up when called will have to make full disclosures to the country, not the government,” Díaz warned. Garamendi replied, “For the Minister to explain what he should do. I’m giving mine too.”
The head of businessmen reminded in Valencia this Tuesday that the role of social agents in the SMI negotiations is of an advisory nature, as defined in Article 27 of the Labor Law, and the amount is decided by the Government. 2023.