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One day the road will reach its end for all of us. The fact that time flies features a lot in the work of Spanish poet, Antonio Machado. He writes of death as a great leveller. Still, between life and death there is a remarkable amount of stuff going on. There is a lot to be done at a time when we, as ordinary, recently bereaved mortals, are rarely in a position to undertake such a heavy burden. A funeral service, a wake, transferring the deceased, decisions about flowers, tombstones, urns and so on. Then the funeral service staff turn up: drivers, embalmers, technicians, administrative staff and those specialised in family liaison. "You have to be good at this job", is the old adage. Yet what are the working conditions for those in the funeral business in Malaga?
The answer, now officially signed, has been published in black and white in Wednesday's official provincial gazette for Malaga (BOP). The collective agreement for the funeral industry in Malaga province goes into the nitty-gritty in a very prosaic manner so typical of this type of work agreement. To begin with, there is a 2.8% pay increase in line with how the consumer price index is moving to align with the cost of living. The term of this agreement is one year long. It will expire with the chimes ringing in 2026.
Funeral home workers will have a holiday allowance of 472.93 euros, which they will receive the day before they start their leave. Another element included is a supplement for those who have children with recognised disabilities: 210.76 euros.
Death always requires some kind of transfer of the deceased to prepare them for that final goodbye with family, and so the ferryman needs payment. The following are the allowances and travel expenses: 30.77 euros and reimbursement of expenses for transfers of deceased persons within Malaga province (driver and assistant). Then it's 0.13 euros per kilometre and reimbursement of expenses for nationwide travel and 673.13 euros for travel outside Spain. If a metal coffin has to be soldered with tin, then 40.87 euros per casket are added. If the journey involves more than 560 kilometres in total, there must be a second driver to share the work load.
The cultural bonus amounts to 54.58 euros per month and is also covered by an agreement that has full guidelines on the provision of uniforms and work clothes. Funeral homes are obliged to provide four sets of uniforms, including a winter jacket every three years. Two of the outfits are for summer and two for winter. They must last for two seasons. Failing this, employees will be recompensed for uniform costs to the tune of 363.96 euros.
If there is one thing about the funeral trade, it is that it does not acknowledge special times of the year like Christmas, and neither does Death. On those public holidays the compensation for being called in to work is 190.89 euros.
So much for the bits and pieces surrounding the heart of the matter: how much do undertakers in Malaga actually earn? The gross monthly salary of a director, manager or person in charge of a funeral home is 1,732.79 euros (33,789.46 per year). The terms are the same for assistant directors, deputies, administrative officers, supervisors, technicians and sales managers.
The monthly salary ranges from 1,672.50 to 1,629.75 (32,613.83-31,780.13 euros gross annually) for the other posts: primary and secondary undertakers and cemetery workers and administrative assistants.
The basic hourly wage, including the toxic bonus, varies between 18.71 and 17.60 euros for all the listed job roles.
The agreement was signed on 25 February this year by representatives from Malaga's trade association for funeral services and also the CCOO trade union as the only trade union that covers these employees.
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