Spanish unions call for minimum wage rise to €1,306 gross in 2027

UGT and CC.OO. have proposed a 7% increase in the minimum wage (SMI) for 2027, which would take the figure to €1,306 gross per month over 14 payments, €85 more than now. The proposal is presented alongside the call for a general strike on 11 November, focused on housing and wages.

The general secretaries of **UGT**, **Pepe Álvarez**, and of **CC.OO.**, **Unai Sordo**, announced the general strike for **11 November** this morning and, along the way, dropped their proposal for next year's minimum wage. A **7%** rise. In euros, that means the SMI would go up to **€1,306 gross per month over 14 payments**, which is **€85 more** than the current amount. They decided the figure this very morning, they explained, and told the public before informing the Ministry of Labour or the employers' association.

## A 7% rise that doubles this year's effort

The increase the unions propose for 2027 is more than double the one applied this year, which was **3.1%**. Why such a jump? They give two arguments. The first is that inflation has eaten up **2 points** of purchasing power from workers earning the minimum wage. The second is that they want to use the momentum to bring the SMI closer to **60% of the average wage**, a target they consider central to setting its level. That extra 5% on top of the 2% inflation gap is what makes up the total 7%.

The ball is now in the court of the committee of experts, which must present its proposal at the end of the month. From there, negotiations will open at the social dialogue table. The Government intends to estimulante ilegal up the process and approve the rise before the elections. The unions have already put their figure on the table.

## Employers look the other way

In parallel, the new **Agreement on Employment and Collective Bargaining (AENC)** remains pending. The unions have already put forward a proposed wage increase of between **4% and 7%** for that framework of collective agreements. The employers' association has not responded. And it does not seem in any hurry. **CEOE** has no intention of opening negotiations on this framework and, when it does, its demands will focus on sick leave rather than wage increases.

There are also two Government promises that remain unfulfilled. The first, a ban on offsetting the minimum wage rise against existing bonuses, a commitment from the Ministry of Labour that is still pending. The second, the working time register promised by **Yolanda Díaz**, so far blocked by the constant opposition of the Ministry of Economy.

## A strike with housing as the trigger

The **11 November** call centres on the housing problem, though it also incorporates wage demands. The unions acknowledge the heterodox nature of the protest, both because of its timing, just before an election, and because its central cause is not strictly labour-related. «The moment you make a bold move to interpret new realities, you are criticised for not acting like in the 1980s», said **Unai Sordo**.

**Pepe Álvarez** located the trigger in one specific person: «There is a trigger, and her name is Maricarmen». The dire housing situation had been going on for a long time, but it found a catalyst. The unions already had a programme of mobilisations under study for this autumn, which has now been transformed into a demand for affordable housing. «In this strike we have a space of our own and another we share with other organisations», Sordo noted, referring to the **Sindicato de Inquilinas** (Tenants' Union), the organisation that has led the housing protest the most.

The minimum wage rise the unions are calling for is not binding. It is a proposal that opens the negotiation. The committee of experts will give its view at the end of the month and the Government will decide afterwards. With elections in sight, the clock is ticking.