Dear civil servant, how much is your vote worth?

The Government has committed to raising public sector salaries by 4.5% in 2027, as previously agreed, but without specifying when it will do so. The unions CCOO, UGT and CSIF confirmed this after a meeting.

The news came the way these things usually do: a social media post and three unions confirming what the Government had already agreed. The commitment is to raise public sector salaries by **4.5%** in **2027**. What is striking is not the figure, but when it is announced and how it is fleshed out. We are in the middle of the election campaign and the Government has decided to remind everyone of an agreement that already existed, though without putting a date on the calendar.

## An agreed deal announced in dribs and drabs

The **4.5%** rise for **2027** is nothing new. It was part of the pay agreement the Government struck with the trade unions for previous years. What it has done now is publicly ratify it, as **CCOO**, **UGT** and **CSIF** pointed out this Tuesday. The fine print is conspicuous by its absence: there is no date for signing, for implementation, or for payment.

That detail matters. A commitment without a timetable is a half-hearted commitment. The unions know this, and that is why they have made it public: so that there is a record that the Government has made the commitment, but also that it has not yet made a move. The ball is in the court of the Ministry of Public Function.

## The campaign context and the fine print

Announcing a pay rise in the middle of an election campaign carries a low political cost and an immediate payoff. The public sector workforce is large and sensitive to any pay improvement. **4.5%** for **2027** sounds good at a rally. Another matter entirely is how it is implemented and with what budgetary room.

The unions have confirmed the commitment, but they have not hidden the lack of specifics. The original report, published by **The Objective**, covers the announcement and the unions' response. There are no further details: no total amount, no number of people affected, no date for a next meeting. Just the percentage and the year.

## What it means for a civil servant's payslip

A **4.5%** rise in **2027** would apply to the base salary and the allowances corresponding to each corps and grade. For a public employee with a gross annual salary of **30,000 euros**, the increase would be around **1,350 euros** a year, spread across the relevant pay periods. The exact figure depends on the category and the specific allowances.

The problem is that without an implementation date, the real effect on the payslip cannot be calculated. If the rise takes effect in January **2027**, the impact is different from if it is delayed until mid-year or paid out in instalments. The unions have called for specifics, but the Government has not provided them. For now, there is only a promise and a percentage.

## An announcement repeated every term

This is not the first time a government has announced a pay rise for civil servants during an election period. The practice has been repeated across different terms and different political stripes. The pattern is always the same: the agreement leaks, it is half-confirmed, and the unions are left to fill in the fine print.

The **4.5%** for **2027** is, for now, a figure on paper. Public employees will have to wait for the commitment to be translated into a ministerial order with a date and financial effect. Until then, it is worth reading the fine print and not taking as given what has not yet been signed.