The general secretary of the UGT, Pepe Álvarez, will propose an increase in the interprofessional minimum wage (SMI) of 5 or 6% by 2025, which would place it around 1,200 euros gross annually in fourteen payments.
In an interview given to EFE on the eve of the 44th Confederal Congress, during which he will be elected for a third term, Álvarez is satisfied with what has been achieved in the last four years and willing to fight to continue improving workers’ rights.
Initially, he will try to put pressure on the Government so that the increase in the SMI is sufficient and don’t stray too far from 60% of the average salary in Spain which, taking Eurostat data as a reference, the UGT places it at 1,296 euros in 2022.
It will also continue the fight for the reduction of the working day, since the route of tripartite negotiation seems to have been exhausted due to the rejection of the employers.
Therefore, Álvarez believes that it is time to give it regulatory form and initiate a parliamentary procedure which, according to him, could extend over eight months, until next summer.
Despite the opposition of the CEOE to the acceptance of this measure, the Ugetist leader does not consider the negotiation with the employers to be complete, which could take place in parallel with the procedure in the Cortes, so that he can adhere to the pact within the next months.
“We are not closing the debate (…) nor the dialogue, nor the possibility of an agreement with the CEOE. In the parliamentary process, I believe that the opportunity to do so also opens up and certain political groups who prefer to vote for an agreement (…) will surely have the opportunity to ask the CEOE to negotiate”, he reflects .
“We will do everything in our power for it to be approved. I believe that it will be approved, sincerely,” underlines the secretary general of the UGT who, with CCOO, has already started a series of contacts with all the groups.
“We don’t need changes in dismissal”
Regarding another issue defended by the union in recent years, the adequacy of severance pay, on which it won a case in Europe, Álvarez is satisfied that this is already reflected in the convictions.
“We are in no hurry” for its translation into Spanish regulations, because “the important is that it is applied before the courts”, explains, with decisions that already recognize higher compensation in the event of unfair dismissal depending on the personal situation of the worker.
Álvarez hopes that this “immediate legal effectiveness” will encourage the government and employers to sit at the table negotiate to establish the criteria for calculating the cost of dismissalin accordance with European legislation.
If a “progressive discharge” is proposed, the CGU leaves the table
He also mentioned the proposal put forward by the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration to allow people on sick leave to partially join the activity, that is to say with a “progressive release “.
“This question is not on the table. “If this issue is brought to the table, we will stand up,” Álvarez said it bluntly.
He deemed the inclusion approach “inappropriate”, which does not respond to “optional” reasons, but to economic reasons.
“Looking at this from an economic point of view seems fatal to me. Seeing it as the CEOE sees it from a perspective linked to absenteeism is inhuman, not to say that it has something or a lot of indecency,” he clarified.
“Let trade unionism continue to be a driving force for change”
With all these issues to be resolved, and many more that the union wishes to address, Álvarez is looking forward to a more than predictable new mandate.
“May unionism continue, may it continue to be this engine of change. » indicate.
“I do it with this desire and nothing else, with great gratitude to my organization and with the desire to improve the living and working conditions of the population of my country”, summarizes the leader of the UGT, who will lead the union for 12 years.
