Labor close out before social agents freezing minimum wage

The minister spokesperson aligns herself with Díaz and highlights the Government’s commitment to raise the SMI

The Ministry of Labor and Social Economy has raised to the social agents that in no case will it freeze the SMI in 2021 and has called another meeting next Monday to continue negotiating.

This was announced by the Secretary of State for Employment and Social Economy, Joaquín Pérez Rey, after the first meeting of the Social Dialogue table that addressed the matter. For this reason, he asked the business organizations, which demanded this freeze, to come up with a new proposal next week.

The Government spokesperson and Minister of Finance, María Jesús Montero, highlighted this Tuesday “the commitment” of the Executive with the increase in the minimum interprofessional wage (SMI). But at the same time he appealed “for prudence when approaching it.”

Labor rules out before social agents freezing the minimum wage.

This was indicated during the press conference after the Council of Ministers, in which he said that this Government has a “strong commitment” to improving the labor conditions of workers and “specifically, with the rise in the SMI.”

In this way, the Minister Spokesperson is approaching the positions defended by the Minister of Labor, Yolanda Díaz, and against the sectors of the Government that are most favorable to a freeze.

The refusal of the department headed by Yolanda Díez coincides with the position of the UGT. The general secretary of this union, Pepe Álvarez, has warned that he will not accept or increase the period for calculating pensions (an option that the Minister of Social Security, José Luis Escrivá is considering) or freeze the SMI.

This was announced by the Secretary of State for Employment and Social Economy, Joaquín Pérez Rey, after the first meeting of the Social Dialogue table that addressed the matter. For this reason, he asked the business organizations, which demanded this freeze, to come up with a new proposal next week.

Álvarez has asked that the SMI reaches 1,000 euros per month next year, compared to 950 euros today. And that at the end of the legislature it is around 60% of the average salary, about 1,200 euros per month.