Salaries agreed upon in collective agreements in the province of Lleida registered an increase of 2.73% during the month of April. This figure slightly exceeds the 2.69% observed in March but remains below the year-on-year CPI of 3.2%. The Lleida demarcation continues to show salary growth rates lower than the averages recorded both in Catalonia and in Spain as a whole.
The monthly statistics prepared by the Ministry of Labor reveal that the seven agreements signed until April cover a total of 35,763 workers spread across 3,803 companies. This volume of agreements reflects a negotiating dynamic that has not yet managed to equate pay raises with the loss of purchasing power derived from inflation.
Most agreements lack a review clause
A relevant structural fact is that most registered agreements lack a wage review clause. This absence prevents automatically compensating for the erosion of purchasing power when consumer prices exceed initial forecasts. The four higher-level agreements affect 35,630 workers and establish an average increase of 2.73%.
For their part, the three business-scope agreements include 463 workers and contemplate a higher increase of 3.22%. This percentage difference shows that negotiation at the company level is allowing for slightly higher adjustments than those agreed upon in sectors with greater representation.
The UGT and CCOO unions have proposed a different strategy to employers for the coming years. The unions propose a fixed salary increase of 4% annually for the next three years.
"This proposal would mean a cumulative increase of 12% by 2028" - Representatives of UGT and CCOO
This offer seeks to guarantee stability and recovery of purchasing power in the face of price index volatility. The union's stance contrasts with the current reality of existing agreements in the province.
The workday exceeds the proposed legal limit
The analysis of working conditions shows that the average agreed working day amounts to 1,752.33 hours per year per worker. This amount is equivalent to 38.8 effective working hours per week. The figure is significant because it exceeds the limit of 37.5 hours per week, or 1,712 hours per year, contemplated by the Government's bill for the reduction of the working day.
The distribution of these hours varies according to the type of agreement. The average weekly working day stands at 37.8 hours in company group agreements. In contrast, sectoral agreements maintain a higher workload of 38.86 hours per week.
The current negotiating context requires the renewal of the general framework for labor relations. Unions and employers must negotiate the new Agreement for Employment and Collective Bargaining this year. The previous agreement expired in December and recommended increases of 3% for 2025 with a review clause of up to an additional 1%. The failure to renew this framework text leaves the parties without a clear institutional reference to close future sectoral agreements.