Unai Sordo, the secretary general of the CC OO, spoke in Alicante this Friday to stress that unions will not let workers bear the impact of inflation alone. He pointed to a government proposal that would provide a compensatory payment for people earning under one thousand euros to help offset rising monthly prices. This message was delivered as the State Confederation of Youth Schools hosted an event in El Campello, with the CC OO PV secretary general Ana Garcia Alcohol and the head of the Youth Confederation Adrià Junyent in attendance.
Sordo faced critics who demand salary concessions to avoid what he called a second round of inflation that would squeeze households. He asserted that the price increases have already been passed through by the economy and cited the 8.7 percent consumer price index data approved by INE that Thursday. He noted that nearly 38 percent of sub-sectors within the shopping basket had risen by more than 6 percent, emphasizing that this was not limited to energy firms or basic food producers.
In his view, employer associations representing the same sectors were hindering wage negotiations, a stance that could provoke a broader conflict among workers and slow economic momentum. He reiterated the unions proposal to raise wages by 3.5 percent this year, 2.5 percent in 2023, and 2 percent in 2024, with mechanisms to review figures if inflation deviates. He also urged the government to act decisively, warning that the profile cannot be built around blocking and the greed of certain sectoral groups.
The province faces a tight labor market in the hotel sector with a shortage of eighteen thousand waiters expected by the summer.
The compensatory payment for those earning less than a thousand euros would help many facing higher living costs. Sordo gave a rough example: if the corporate tax rate were set at 15 percent, a single 300 euro payment could reach nine and a half million people with earnings below that threshold, illustrating the potential scope of targeted relief.
He also addressed complaints from employers in the hotel and catering industry and those in rural areas about a shortage of workers. He rejected the notion that there is a lack of skilled labor, describing it as a marginal problem. He argued that if some sectors struggle to attract workers, the reason is often the salary conditions on offer. He urged firms to raise wages enough to allow workers to live decently and, in coastal regions, to cover rent for an apartment.
The Youth Rental Bonds program was described by Adrià Junyent, the confederal head of CC OO Youth, as a temporary fix and criticized for likely reaching only a small portion of young people. He warned that the program could become a bureaucratic bottleneck if applications were managed in order of arrival without considering other income criteria. Junyent called for stronger, more structural measures, including a legal cap on rental prices to ensure affordability. He emphasized the need for policies that go beyond quick patches and address the underlying rental market dynamics, as reported by CC OO sources.
This reflects a broader demand for a more robust approach to housing affordability that aligns with workers’ broader economic security goals.
The discussion also highlighted how inflation pressures and wage dynamics interact with housing costs, and how policy choices now may shape labor relations and consumer confidence through the coming year. The overall tone underscored the unions’ insistence on fair, transparent measures from both employers and the government to protect households while maintaining economic stability.
In summary, the union leadership presented a multi-year wage plan backed by price reviews, pressed for decisive government action, and criticized ongoing wage stagnation in certain sectors. They pointed to inflation data and real cost of living shifts to argue that workers deserve protection and respectable compensation as part of a sustainable economic strategy. The participation of youth leaders and regional officials underscored the cross-cutting importance of housing affordability, wage growth, and labour market conditions for families across the province and beyond.
The conversation continues as stakeholders weigh policy options and the balance between employer interests and worker protections in a shifting economic landscape. At the heart of the discussion remains a call for action that supports living standards without derailing growth.