The Spanish Government and the unions agree to raise the SMI to 1000 euros in 2022

The Ministry of Labor and the unions UGT and CC. OO. they have agreed raise 35 euros the minimum interprofessional salary (SMI) to 1,000 euros gross in 14 payments from January 1, 2022.

This increase, announced this Wednesday by the second vice president and Minister of Labor, Yolanda Díaz, satisfies the demands of the unions, while the CEOE is again left out of the agreement, as announced yesterday.

After the signing of the agreement, the minister pointed out that this rise “is a very important milestone for the country”, something that she carries out “with satisfaction and joy”, after having held negotiations with employers and unions since last Monday.

The vice-president thanked all the social agents for the work carried out at this table and pointed out that, although the agreement has only been signed with the unions, the important thing is that there has been social dialogue.

“The Government and the social agents who sign this agreement today comply with their country. Raising the SMI has been very positive for our country and very positive for our economy”, highlighted the vice-president, who added that the “best tool to combat the working poverty” is the SMI.

Díaz has denied that the rise in the interprofessional minimum wage will destroy employment in sectors such as agriculture or among the self-employed, a consideration that has also been shared by union leaders, who have described this thesis as “theology.”

Likewise, the vice president has indicated that “the Spanish employers know” that the causes of inflation are not wages and “also know” that this measure is “good” for the Spanish economy.

For his part, the secretary general of CC. OO., Unai Sordo, has expressed his “satisfaction” for the signing of this agreement, which will have a direct impact on 1.8 million workers, and has stressed that it is “coherent” with the objective of bringing it up to 60% of the average salary at the end of the legislature and with the policy that the unions have defended regarding all wages in Spain.

Unai Sordo after signing the agreement. Photo: EFE.

Along these lines, his UGT counterpart, Pepe Álvarez, has pointed out that, as the CEOE has not complied with what it signed in the collective bargaining agreement, many agreements will see wages increase due to the rise in the SMI. “If they had complied, the impact would be small,” he said.

“I would like the employers to be fully aware that the minimum wage has to continue to grow in the coming years. This agreement goes in the direction of the approaches that the European Union has, which permanently urges us to raise wages in Spain “, he pointed out.

Both Álvarez and Sordo have highlighted that the rise in the SMI will go directly to the “heart” of women and young people, who are the most affected by the rise in the SMI. In fact, the profile of the worker who will benefit most from this increase in the minimum wage corresponds to that of a woman, aged 16 to 34, who works mainly in the agricultural sector.