Six of the seven associations of judges and prosecutors have accepted on Thursday the salary increase agreement proposed by the Government, which includes increases of between 440 and 450 euros per month. Sources of the negotiation have indicated to EL PAÍS that only the Professional Association of the Magistracy (APM, 1,400 associates), the majority and traditionally the most conservative tendency, has distanced itself from the pact, which it considers "insufficient and unassumable". The agreement, which will be signed on Tuesday, ends the threat of an indefinite strike that both races had raised, since four of the five associations that called the strike have called it off after the agreement with the Executive, and the APM, the only one that will not sign, had suspended the strike after the ministries of Justice and Finance presented their proposal.
The associations have met again this Tuesday with the Government and all, except the APM, have advanced that they will sign the pact. The agreement settles the conflict opened weeks ago, when five associations called an indefinite strike from May 16, in the middle of the electoral campaign. Judges and prosecutors postponed the call after the government presented them with their last salary offer and, finally, all but the APM have decided to accept that proposal. In a note released after the end of the meeting, the Ministry of Justice welcomes the agreement. "The Government maintains the desire that finally the proposal is also signed by the only association that has not pronounced, for the moment, definitively, in the forum of the remuneration committee," says the department directed by Pilar Llop.
APM Isolation
The APM, the association that represents the most conservative wing of the race and the one that has traditionally monopolized more power in discretionary bodies, has been very Justice and Finance throughout the negotiation, which has led to episodes of tension in the meetings and that, at times, a majority agreement seems impossible. The ability of this association to influence the others of conservative tendency was, throughout the process, the great doubt of the participants of the negotiation, some of whom considered that, if the APM did not sign, it could drag others. However, in recent days, the APM has been left alone and that isolation has been staged at the meeting on Thursday, where all the others have chosen to adhere to the agreement proposed by the Government.
The second most representative association, the Francisco de Vitoria Judicial Association (AJFV) has explained in a public note its decision to accept the proposal. They consider that the salary offer is "insufficient" and is more "an imposition than an agreement resulting from negotiation." However, "according to the general feeling of its associates and out of responsibility", the AJFV will sign the pact and will not go on strike. This association applauds that the pact includes the annual convocation of the remuneration table. "This marks a milestone in the associative struggle after 20 years of absolute abandonment," he says.
Late in the afternoon, the four associations that had postponed the strike - AJFV, Independent Judicial Forum, Association of Prosecutors and Independent Professional Association of Prosecutors - have signed a statement confirming the call off of the strike. "The proposal is not at all satisfactory, does not meet our legitimate economic demands and does not meet the essential needs of investment in means in Justice that citizens demand," say the associations, which, however, admit that the agreement includes important achievements. "For the first time in twenty years, the Remuneration Board will lead to a real increase in our perceptions, based on a specific agreement with the judges and prosecutors themselves; and for the first time ever, a stable framework of relations with the Ministries of Justice and Finance is established."
The salary increase of both bodies will be applied in the destination complement, one of those charged by all judges and prosecutors, and will mean that the Government allocates to their salaries up to 46.7 million euros more than now. Judges and prosecutors will see their salaries increased between 440 and 450 euros gross per month, a higher increase than that agreed last March with the lawyers of the Administration of Justice (431.01 on average per month). 100% of the increase will be charged from July 1, 2024, but both bodies will begin to receive in their payrolls immediately a salary increase of 40% of the total agreed. This increase will also have retroactive effect to January 1, 2023, so that the amount accumulated so far (between 1,700 and 1,800 euros) will be paid in a payment in the month of September. As of January 1, 2024, they will already charge 80% of the agreed increase, and from July of that year, 100%.
According to the agreement reached between the Government and most associations, the average increase offered is 7%, which is added to the 8% salary increase agreed for all public servants for the years 2022, 2023 and 2024, likely to reach 9.5% depending on inflation. The increase is linked to the adaptation of both bodies to the requirements of the new procedural laws and the proposal also commits the Government to negotiate in the coming months issues that have not yet been completed, such as the increase in the staff of both careers, the workload, the increase in the remuneration of guards, three-year periods and other variable complements.
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