Spain: unions are calling for a share of economic growth in the form of a 4% wage rise for 2017

Employers’ bodies and trade unions are preparing for the forthcoming rounds of negotiations that will determine the wage rise recommendations to be used during the 2017 sector and company collective negotiations. Following years of wage restraint with marginal rises in 2015 and 2016 of 1% and 1.5% respectively, unions are now looking to lift the lid on wages and allow employees participate in the fruits of what has been stronger than forecasted economic growth. The UGT has seized the initiative and announced its intention to open discussions by demanding a 2017 wage rise of 4%.
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The discussions take place within the framework of the 2015 – 2017 agreement on jobs and collective negotiation (AENC) (c.f. article No. 9080), which intends that from the outset, the 2017 wage rise negotiations will be in line with the country’s economic profile.

During the negotiations over the 2015-2017 agreement, which after several months of deadlock was signed in March 2015, employee representatives agreed with the employers’ argument that the upturn in growth was still tenuous and they te

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