Six associations of judges and prosecutors sign wage increase agreement with the government that ends the threat of strike

The Secretary of State for Justice, Tontxu Rodríguez, and the Secretary of State for Public Function, Lidia Sánchez Milán, signed on Tuesday with the judicial and fiscal associations the salary increase agreement that has put an end to the threat of indefinite strike that had raised both careers. Only the Professional Association of the Magistracy (APM), the majority and conservative tendency, has distanced itself from the pact and has been left out of the photo that the others have starred in the Ministry of Justice. The department directed by Pilar LLop has described as "historic" the agreement, which provides for salary increases of between 440 and 450 euros per month for all judges and prosecutors.

In a public note released this afternoon, Justice wanted to emphasize that the pact contemplates salary improvements and the expansion of the workforce for both careers, "among other measures that will have a positive impact on the Public Service of Justice". The agreement involves an increase in personnel of 100 new positions in 2023 and 100 more in 2024. These places join another 200 already approved for each of these exercises. In total, therefore, there will be 300 places in 2023 and another 300 in 2024. In addition, it establishes that the associations and the Ministries of Justice and Finance and Public Function establish a new framework of relations, "characterized by continuous dialogue". With this objective, permanent working groups will be constituted, in addition to a monitoring commission of the agreement, in which the signatory associations will participate, and within which the doubts and interpretations that may arise from the practical application of the agreement signed on Tuesday will be resolved.

It also foresees that the Remuneration Committee will be convened annually to assess the development and application of the agreements reached, "taking into account the budgetary availability and the work carried out by the different groups". The realization of the immediate salary increase for judges and prosecutors has been the point that has focused most of the debate throughout the negotiation. Finally, the increase will be applied in the destination supplement, 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. All members of both careers will see their salary 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 judges and prosecutors will begin to receive on 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%.

And while the conflict with the judges is resolved, Justice and Finance continue to have pending negotiations with judicial officials, a body of 43,000 people who have been on indefinite strike since Monday to demand that they also have their salaries raised. The negotiations, for the moment, are paralyzed and dozens of officials have concentrated this Tuesday at the doors of the Congress of Deputies to demand a treatment similar to that offered to judges, prosecutors and lawyers of the Administration of Justice. The unions estimate at 85% the follow-up of the strike, a figure that Justice reduces to 29.49%. Since officials began mobilizing a month ago, half a million trials have already been postponed, according to workers' representatives.