Minimum wage
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The Spanish government plans to raise the minimum wage (SMI) in 2025 by around four per cent, which would mean an extra 45 euros per month, an extra 635 euros over the next year for more than 2.5 million workers who earn the lowest income for full-time employment, according to government sources.
In this way, the SMI would go from the current 1,134 euros per month in 14 payments to 1,180 euros per month and would reach a total annual remuneration of more than 16,500 euros gross in 2025.
The new planned increase of four per cent that Pedro Sánchez's government is considering, and which the commission of experts appointed by the ministry for work is studying over the next few days, is based on two factors. Firstly, the government is starting from the premise that the increase has to be at least equivalent to the increase in prices this year, as promised by deputy PM Yolanda Díaz, so that these workers, the most vulnerable, do not lose purchasing power; and inflation up to November has risen by 2.8 per cent.
Secondly, the government wants the increase to be in line with the growth in average wages, according to the latest available statistics, which show an increase of around 4%. What is more, the average wage increase agreed in collective agreements stands at 3.05% up to November, although those signed in 2024 will rise to around 4% (3.74%). In this way, the minimum wage would remain at the 60% of the average wage that the European Social Charter commits to, a range that the government and experts consider to be in line with the current amount of 1,134 euros, but not the UGT union, which raises it to well above 1,200 euros.
The government's objective is that the minimum wage should continue to rise until it has increased by more than 50% since Pedro Sánchez has been prime minister, since this sharp rise has shown that "it is the best way to increase the lower end of wages" and try to bring them into line with the average, as well as the European average, "since we are far from the wages of other European countries", government sources explained to SUR.
The ministry for work is awaiting the conclusions of the committee of experts expected before the end of the year. This body, made up of representatives from various ministerial departments as well as from the trade unions - the employers' association has not wanted to participate in these meetings - is still discussing the range in which the increase in the SMI should be placed.
The aim is that before the end of the year they recommend a range of increases, which could range between 3% (in line with the rise in prices) and 6%, which is the increase demanded by the trade unions UGT and CC OO, who are demanding that it should not be less than 5%.
One of the premises on the table, according to sources on the table, is that it is necessary to take into account the impact that a sharp increase in the minimum wage could have, especially on small businesses and the self-employed.
These same sources clarify that although the increase in the SMI has so far been shown not to harm economic activity, the potential damage that an excessive increase would cause cannot be "ignored" either. For this reason, they continue to study the pros and cons of each percentage that is put on the table in order to reach a final conclusion, as has been the case in other years.
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