Spanish government proposes raising minimum salary to €996 per month
If approved, monthly wages would increase by €31, with annual salary set at €13,944
The Spanish government has proposed increasing the minimum salary to €996 per month in 14 instalments throughout the year.
If approved, this would mean an increase of €31 per month. The annual salary currently is €13,510 and with the increase would rise to €13,944.
Labor minister in the Spanish cabinet Yolanda Díaz wants to implement the new pay terms as soon as possible, with the increase being backdated to January 1, 2022.
She described the minimum salary as a "very important tool" to help "the most vulnerable workers" in society, and stressed that the figure aims to strike a balance between unions who want the figure higher and employer groups who want it lower.
The cabinet hopes that the annual minimum salary can be at 60% of the average net salary of a full-time worker by 2023.
In September, the minimum pay was raised from €950 per month to €960, paid in 14 instalments. In Catalonia and Spain, it is common for contracts to pay workers in 14 instalments: one per month, plus an extra one in summer and December.
Despite this, unions have been calling for the increase to be pushed €1,000 per month, while employers are against the raise.