This is an increase that more than doubles this year, but, with skyrocketing inflation, insufficient for them not to lose purchasing power
The Government wants to raise the salary of the more than 3.3 million public employees in Spain by 2% in 2022, according to sources close to the negotiation confirmed to this newspaper. This is an increase that doubles what they have had this year (0.9%, the same as pensioners) but that, with inflation through the roof, does not serve to compensate for the loss of purchasing power.
Prices have shot up 4% this year (with provisional data for September), a level that has not been recorded for 13 years, as a result of the rising cost of electricity, gas and fuel. The CPI is expected to close the year around 2.5%, although it could even be higher if inflation continues to grow in the remainder of the year. This means that public employees will have lost their purchasing power again, at least 1.6 points, since prices have risen almost three times higher than their salaries.
And it rains on wet. This loss will be added to the one they have already had in the last decade as a result of the previous economic crisis, when they suffered a decrease of more than 10% due to cuts and the payroll freeze.
The Executive promised with Brussels that, at least until 2024, the salaries of public employees would grow based on the estimated CPI, as recorded in the plan sent. The inflation that the Executive expects for next year stands at 1.8%, although it has not been revised and it is most likely that it will be higher. In any case, if it finally rises by 2%, the same increase that it has proposed for the deputies, the Government will not compensate this group for the heavy loss they have suffered this year.
The Ministry of Finance and Public Function is currently transferring this proposal to the union representatives of public employees, although CC OO has refused to attend this meeting.
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