Albares says to do everything possible to meet the needs of the workforce abroad

Foreign Affairs studies medium and long-term measures to solve the situation

MADRID, 27 May. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation headed by José Manuel Albares is doing everything in its power within its powers to meet the demands of labor personnel working abroad, who have been demanding for months a salary increase and improvements in their working conditions.

Sources from this department consulted by Europa Press have assured that labor personnel (PLEX) is one of the Ministry's priorities given that it is "a key element for the Foreign Service".

Therefore, within the scope of its powers, it is making "all possible efforts" to meet the needs of this group and the services they carry out, mainly in embassies and consulates around the world. In this sense, the sources have specified, "measures in the medium and long term" are already being studied.

From Foreign Affairs they argue that at all times "social dialogue with union representatives has been promoted, actively listening to union representatives and analyzing all the proposals received".

Precisely, Albares met on April 21 with union representatives to address this situation and the minister himself maintained on May 9 that it was a priority issue for him and he would do everything in his power to resolve it, although he asked for "patience" for it .

In addition, the sources have added, a file has been presented to the Executive Commission of the Interministerial Commission of Remuneration (CECIR), dependent on the Ministry of Finance, to adjust the remuneration in the eight countries where the loss of purchasing power has been more acute in recent years, including the United Kingdom.

This was precisely the proposal that the minister raised at the aforementioned meeting, a salary increase of between 8 and 10% starting with eight countries, including the United Kingdom, where the workforce began a strike on March 14 that only left 50 days later, precisely as a result of the promises of this meeting. Then, Albares had hinted that it was a matter of days before the CECIR gave the green light to the rise.

On the other hand, the sources have assured that Foreign Affairs will continue to promote dialogue with the Ministry of Finance and other departments to improve the conditions of the PLEX group as a whole, "through a human resources management plan that includes the modernization of catalogs and the setting of remuneration".

In addition to the complaint about the fact that their salaries have been frozen since 2008 despite the fact that the accumulated inflation in countries such as the United Kingdom amounts to 30%, the workforce also demands equality in salaries for the same position, since it is taking place the circumstance that those hired with less seniority earn more than others with more years in the position despite performing the same work.

Foreign Affairs reacts in this way to the call launched by the CSIF, UGT and CCOO unions to carry out concentrations every Monday from next week and until July 25 in front of the Spanish representations abroad in order to listen to their demands and the negotiation is unblocked.