Sanchez Eyes Elections With Minimal Wage Increase

This week the Spanish government has unveiled an 8% rise in the minimum wage, as part of the package to shield low wage workers from the effects of the current wave of high inflation caused by the economic fallout from the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The announcement was made in a speech by the Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez to the Senate on Tuesday 31st January.

He told Spanish senators that “we’re going to approve a new 8.0 percent increase in the minimum wage to reach 1,080 Euros” gross over 14 months.

Spain traditionally makes salary payments in 14 monthly payments, with the extra pay cheques usually paid at the onset of the summer holidays and in time for Christmas.

“We are respecting our commitment” to raise the minimum wage “to 60 percent of the average Spanish salary,” he said.

The amount is just shy of the 1,100 a month demanded by the Trade Unions but significantly more than Spain’s Employers Association.

The head of the powerful CCOO Union, Unai Sordo, tweeted that “there will be some 2.5 million beneficiaries and it will have a greater impact on women, young people, those with temporary contracts or working in agriculture or the service sectors.”

Sanchez’s announcement comes in the run up to regional and municipal elections in May and a General Election possible for December.

He told Senators that his Socialist PSOE led coalition government have raised the minimum annual wage “ by 36%, that’s to say from €735 when we entered government to €1,080 gross” and always he said “ in the face of staunch opposition” referring to the opposition right wing Partido Popular.

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