The Government has presented its first offer to renew the salary framework for public employees for the coming years. The proposal, which has come at a time of tension with the main trade union organizations, proposes a gradual increase until 2028.
However, the reaction of the workers’ representatives has been forceful: they consider that the offer falls short and demand an upward revision before considering whether to call demonstrations.
How much is the salary increase proposed by the government?
The proposal submitted by the Ministry for Digital Transformation and the Civil Service contemplates an accumulated increase of 10% between 2025 and 2028. The initial tranche, corresponding to
The Executive defends that this multi-year framework offers stability and allows salaries to be adjusted to the economic evolution. It also stresses that the agreement aims to strengthen public services and improve the relationship between the Administration and the public.
Negotiations will resume this Thursday at a new meeting called by the ministry.
What the unions say about the Executive’s offer
The trade union organizations have shown firm positions from the outset. From UGT, Isabel Araque argued that the Government must guarantee that public employees do not continue to lose purchasing power, and warned that the 4% limit “makes it very difficult” to reach an agreement.
In CCOO, the reaction was even more emphatic: its representative, Lucho Palazzo, described the proposal as “unacceptable” and stated that, if a more ambitious approach is not presented, the December general strike will be activated. According to the union, the offer “is an insult” to public workers.
For its part, CSIF considers that the Government’s plan “does not even come close” to covering the rise in the cost of living. In turn, they remarked that only since 2022, public salaries have lost 8% of purchasing power, and that if the 2010 salary drop is taken as a reference, the accumulated loss is close to 20%; for this reason they assure that they will continue negotiating for responsibility.
A key negotiation that remains open
This Thursday’s meeting will be decisive to know if the positions can be brought closer or if the unions will move towards a mobilization scenario. With the last wage agreement expired at the end of 2024 and salaries frozen this year, the tension between the parties is evident.
The government’s challenge will be to present an offer capable of curbing union unrest and guaranteeing a stable framework for the nearly three million public employees.
