UGT demands wage increases to ensure the purchasing power of families against inflation

The union points out that the price increase is "worrying"

MADRID, 10 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) -

General Union of Workers (UGT) has demanded wage increases in line with the increase in prices to protect the purchasing power of families, after confirming that inflation reached 8.7% in May, a figure that has been called " worrying" and that confirms that the inflationary tensions "are more serious" than was thought at first.

"The upward trend in prices invalidates the initial forecasts that pointed to their relaxation in the second half of the year," said UGT. In addition, the union has highlighted the increase in the underlying CPI, which shows that the rise in prices, "far from occurring on some specific elements", is already generalized.

Regarding the measures in the labor field, the union has demanded that wage review clauses be included in all labor agreements as an alternative to "fairly" distribute the costs derived from inflation and boost economic growth.

Regarding this last matter, UGT foresees that the rise in interest rates announced this Thursday by the European Central Bank (ECB) "will suppose an extraordinary pressure on the purchasing power of the population", especially that which may already be having difficulties to keep up with the payment of their debts, at the same time that "it will reinforce the slowdown of the Spanish economy", by further limiting the consumption capacity of households.

From UGT, they have recalled that their strategy to solve the inflationary tension is to negotiate with the employers a new Agreement for Employment and Collective Bargaining (AENC), which for the moment the employers reject.

Faced with this refusal, the union has promoted a Union Agreement for Collective Bargaining in which reference wage increases of 3.5% in 2022, 2.5% in 2023 and 2% in 2024 are set, while encouraging include wage review clauses that protect the purchasing power of the working class against unexpected increases in year-on-year inflation.

Along the same lines, UGT and CCOO called last Thursday for a mobilization of negotiators and negotiators to demand from the employer the unblocking of collective bargaining as the first step for the fulfillment of all the objectives indicated in salary matters.