An increase justified by galloping inflation.
Spain's left-wing government will raise the minimum wage by another 8%, despite opposition from employers, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Tuesday.
"We are going to approve a new increase in the minimum wage of 8% to reach 1,080 euros" gross per month over 14 months, the salary being traditionally paid 14 months in the country, announced Pedro Sánchez, a socialist, during a debate in the Senate.
"We are thus respecting our commitment" to raise the minimum wage "to 60% of the average wage" by the end of the legislature at the end of 2023, he continued.
Over 12 months, the minimum wage will now be 1,260 euros gross.
The unions, who demanded 1,100 euros over 14 months, still expressed their satisfaction.
2.5 million future beneficiaries
This increase “will benefit 2.5 million people and particularly affect women, young people, people on fixed-term contracts or those working in the agricultural sector or in services”, declared on Twitter Unai Sordo, secretary general. Commissions Ouvrieres (CCOO), one of the country's two largest unions.
For its part, employers refused to participate in the negotiations on Tuesday, saying that their concerns were not taken into account.
"They just have to give us the figure" of the increase for approval, quipped the president of the employers' organization CEOE, Antonio Garamendi.
Read alsoInflation rises to 6% over one year in January, according to INSEE
This new increase in the minimum wage comes in a context of high inflation, even if the rise in prices has slowed significantly in recent months.
Inflation thus stood at 5.8% in January, after peaking at 10.8% in July, which was a record since the start of the statistical series 38 years ago.
Pedro Sánchez, who wants to raise the Spanish minimum wage to the level of that of its European neighbors, stressed that this salary will have increased in total, after this new increase, by 36% since he came to power in 2018. It was then 735 euros and was one of the lowest in Europe.
Spain will experience two major electoral events this year: municipal and regional elections at the end of May and legislative elections at the end of the year.