Renewal principle and regional impact
The renewal principle for the provincial hotel contract stands as a major decision with broad consequences for thousands of workers in the region. In Alicante, around 40,000 hospitality employees stand to benefit from a deal expected to be finalized by month-end. The agreement is designed to preserve industrial harmony across the sector for the next four years and includes a 12 percent increase in the minimum wage.
Practically, negotiations followed the framework of Employment and Collective Bargaining Agreement V, a pact negotiated by unions and employer representatives. The plan forecasts a 4 percent rise in 2023, with an additional 3 percent distributed across 2023 and 2025. A safeguard is included to adjust if the consumer price index exceeds the projected increases. Additionally, a further 2 percent pay increase has been approved for 2026, according to information from the hotel employers association and the unions.
These figures aim to restore and strengthen workers purchasing power after several years of inflation-driven losses in the sector. For example, the base monthly salary for a receptionist, waiter, or chambermaid at a four-star hotel — a benchmark used in Imserso programs — is set at 1,350 euros, with potential for three performance bonuses and other discretionary supplements negotiated annually.
After the wage increases and coverage terms were agreed, talks continued on salary steps and other topics. The final wording of the collective agreement remains to be seen. The parties hope to sign a new text before the end of July, after which it must pass legality checks, be registered, deposited, and published by the labor authority. A regional bulletin could finalize the process by September.
Hosbec’s president described the process as a way for business leaders to demonstrate their commitment to negotiations. He compared the current effort to the complex talks already conducted in Valencia and Castellón, noting that the region beyond Valencia is putting in substantial effort to reach a stable agreement. He stated that the Valencia Community currently stands as a region with strong working and pay conditions for hospitality professionals seeking advancement, countering any notion of instability or underpayment.
The Hosbec chair also critiqued national government management of Imserso, highlighting the contrast between business commitment to employees and what he described as limited government support. He argued that companies should be able to offer competitive wages and social benefits within the framework of their collective agreement, while warning that social responsibility should not be assumed solely by the state.
The hospitality sector anticipates occupancy above 90 percent during the peak months of July and August in the Alicante province. Hosbec represents about 70 percent of the bargaining power in the contract talks, with technical and legal leadership shared between the negotiating parties. In Alicante, representatives from the Alicante Hotel Provincial Association and related bodies attended the discussions to ensure broad regional input.
Union demands and ongoing talks
On the union side, the local CC OO Services leadership welcomed the preliminary wage agreement as a milestone toward stabilizing the workforce, even though initial claims remain higher. The unions have indicated that several issues are still unsettled. They aim to safeguard rules that improve employment stability for those with periodic contracts and to guarantee permanent part-time workers at least half a day of paid work. The goal is to strengthen work continuity for employees with recurring shifts.
Likewise, Yolanda Diaz, secretary in the Alicante union chapter and head of the UGT in the region, welcomed the progress on the wage framework while emphasizing the need to advance negotiations on other elements of the accord. The talks focus on measures to improve occupational risk prevention and worker safety across the sector.
Overall, the talks reflect a careful balance between wage increases, employment stability, and safety measures, with both sides signaling openness to further agreement and refinement as the process moves toward final legal review and publication. The outcome will shape the region’s hospitality labor market for years to come and set a benchmark for how collective bargaining is approached in this sector in Spain, with potential lessons for comparable markets abroad.