Signing of the shoe agreement at CEV Alicante headquarters shows a decisive step forward for workers in the footwear industry. After months of negotiation, a formal collective agreement was reached that grants a 10% salary increase spread over three years, covering 2022 through 2024. The agreement brings together key players the Valencia Shoe Entrepreneurs Association (Avecal), the Alicante regional federation of trade and SMEs (Fax), and the leading labor unions UGT and CCOO. The document will take effect from January 1, 2022, and remains in force until December 31, 2024, applying to retail sales employees, wholesalers, and exporters operating in the Alicante province. The scope includes workers across shoes, leather goods, and related travel retail channels as defined by the signatory bodies.
Education collaboration between Avecal and Elda’s footwear ecosystem
The signing ceremony occurred at the CEV headquarters in Alicante. The contract was endorsed by Marian Canoe, head of Avecal, and Carlos Bath, head of facpyme, along with representatives from UGT and CCOO. The agreement outlines a staged wage increase: a 4.5% rise in 2022, effective January 1, 2023; a 3.5% increase for 2023 starting January 1, 2023; and a retroactive settlement for the period between July 2023 and June 30, 2023, to be paid in a single installment within the same month.
Looking ahead to 2024, the contract specifies a 2% increase starting January 1, 2024. If the 2024 CPI exceeds 4.5%, adjustments will be applied to 2025 wage tables, with retroactive amounts increasing by 1% and paid in January 2025 in a single payment.
Exports and recovery: a positive trajectory for the footwear sector
The agreement also outlines a broader recovery plan for the industry, linking it to export growth and employee engagement. A four-year progression is planned with a cumulative 5% salary uplift for every four-year interval in the contract. The working calendar for 2023 and 2024 sets annual hours at 1,788 and 1,784 respectively. The contract includes provisions for extraordinary bonuses to be paid to two workers each year. In addition, a commemorative gift is included to celebrate patron saint festivities in each locality every year. For March, an installment payment will be introduced consisting of one month’s salary plus the seniority supplement mandated by the contract.
The document emphasizes a structured approach to employee recognition and retention, leveraging short-term bonuses and long-term incentives to stabilize the workforce during a period of market fluctuations. The combination of wage growth, retroactive settlements, and event-based gifts is designed to bolster morale while supporting the sector’s competitiveness on both national and international fronts.
The agreements place a strong emphasis on collaboration among industry associations, regional federations, and major labor unions to align wages with market conditions and to sustain growth in the face of global demand shifts. This cooperative model is presented as a framework for ongoing dialogue between employers and workers, with a focus on predictable pay scales and fair compensation tied to productivity and inflation indexes.