The Economic and Social Council (CES) is calling for a review of the government’s targets for the evolution of the national minimum wage in the coming years, taking into account the inflation level in 2022 and 2023.
The CES position is contained in the opinion on the Major Options (GO) for 2022-2026 to which Lusa had access and which was approved in the plenary session of that Consultative and Social Consultative Body on Tuesday, with no votes against and with eight abstentions.
“Given the high inflation forecast for 2022 and 2023, it may be necessary to reconsider previously set targets regarding the evolution of the national minimum wage in the coming years,” the document reads.
The target presented by the government for next year is to update the minimum wage from the current EUR 705 to EUR 750, but the executive has meanwhile presented the intention to move forward with an extra salary to cope with inflation, so the value would be above the announced target.
The government also has a target for the minimum wage of 900 euros by the end of the legislature, in 2026.
As for public administration, the body chaired by Francisco Assis notes “the government’s intention to continue to value civil servants”, but underlines that “given the real loss of salaries over the past decade”, it suggests “more ambition in valuing civil servants”. careers and wages, with a view to attracting and retaining workers”.
The CES advice was drawn up before the government announced the proposal for increases for the civil service to industry unions at a meeting on Monday.
In the document submitted to the civil servants’ unions, the government proposes a multi-year mechanism (until 2026) that provides for minimum monthly increases of about 52 euros for civil servants, ranging from 8% for the lowest salaries and 2% from 2,570 euros .
The CES also finds the measures to respond to the price increase announced by the government “inadequate”.
“The JUs report that the amount of funding for measures to respond to price increases is EUR 5,685 million, funded from national sources, with the highest amount in 2022 (EUR 5,483 million), followed by 2023 (EUR 157 million). and 2024 (45 million euros)”, says the municipality.
In the document, the ESC emphasizes “the efforts to combat the rise in the cost of living, but considers these measures insufficient, especially in a context of expected increases in tax revenues”.
As for the one-off payment of 125 euros per adult with a monthly income of up to 2,700 euros, the ESC says that “it is insufficient to compensate for the accumulated income losses”.
As for the exceptional allowance for retirees in 2022, with the allocation in October of 50% of the pension amount, “this could translate into a non-update of pensions in the future, given the values that are expected with the application of the legislation in effect,” CES warns.
Source: DN
