The government has allowed public sector companies to increase the global wage bill by up to 5%, with the per-employee benchmark at 3%, according to a notice sent to companies accessed by Lusa.
“Public enterprises in the state-owned enterprise sector can increase the global wage bill by up to 5% on an annual basis compared to 2023,” reads the decision signed by Finance Minister Fernando Medina on Saturday.
The document stipulates that the salary increase per employee should be based on a value of 3%, the percentage taking into account the remuneration components, including salary adjustments, progressions and promotions, without prejudice to compliance with the increase in the national minimum wage. 820 euros (+7.9% compared to 2023) from January.
In this way, increases of more than 3% can occur, especially in the case of lower-income workers, “in which case the increase in the global wage bill cannot exceed the 5% limit.
The Ministry of Finance also clarified that the application of the increase “must be defined in each company or business group through collective contracts, where it exists, without prejudice to situations where the IRCT [instrumentos de regulamentação coletiva de trabalho] or any other legal instrument in force already guarantees this implementation”, i.e. it is not automatic.
“SEE companies [Setor Empresarial do Estado] they must ensure their operational efficiency, economic and budgetary sustainability and respective financial ratios, guaranteeing continuous improvement of the business and/or the delivery of a high-quality public service,” the government emphasized.
As in 2023, the government thus instructed to apply the increase reference set out in the Strengthening of the Medium-Term Agreement to Improve Income, Wages and Competitiveness (Strengthening Agreement), signed on October 7, to public enterprises. with social partners.
Source: DN
