The government in Madrid has decided to increase the monthly minimum wage by 8% to a gross €1,080 ($1,160) at the beginning of the election year in Spain.
The €80 increase was approved at Tuesday's meeting of the Council of Ministers, or Cabinet, and is due to take effect retroactively from January 1.
The measure will benefit more than 2.5 million workers, according to estimates by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's left-wing government. The Spanish law provides for 14 months' salary a year. The increase "makes it possible to change people's lives," explained Labour Minister Yolanda Díaz.
Since Sánchez took office, the minimum wage has been raised by a total of €344 euros or 47% in four years. The most recent increase was negotiated with the unions in January. Employers' representatives did not take part in the talks.
The president of the business federation CEOE, Antonio Garamendi, complained that they had not received an invitation from Madrid. The CEOE had previously proposed a 4% increase.
Conservative voices accuse Sánchez of acting out of "electoral interest." This is a "super election year" in Spain: Regional and local elections are due to be held on May 28.
At the end of 2023, presumably at the beginning of December, the new parliament is scheduled to be elected.
