Unions and employers’ associations AEB and CECA will begin the negotiation of the ‘banking’ and ‘savings’ collective agreements between the end of October and the beginning of November, two months before the end of the validity of both agreements, as reported by the organizations of the workers.

Since last June 22, CCOO, UGT and FINE have been demanding from AEB, CECA and Unacc-Asemecc the “early” opening of the negotiation of the agreements that expire on December 31.

Subsequently, in the first half of October, they proceeded, jointly, to denounce and urge the negotiation of the ‘banking’ and ‘savings’ agreements, materializing with the calls made by AEB and CECA for the constitution of the respective tables. negotiators on October 31, for the ‘banking’ agreement, and on November 2, in the case of the ‘savings’ agreement.

In the case of the rural savings bank agreement, the unions have not yet received a call, as FINE has informed Europa Press.

The three unions affirm that they will work to establish a joint platform in the negotiation of each agreement. Its priorities will be to recover purchasing power for employees in the sector in such a way that it includes a salary increase of between 17% and 23% in three years.

Specifically, for 2023 they ask for additional compensation measures for loss of purchasing power with an increase in the current tables of 4% and effects from October 1. For 2024, they will ask for an increase in tables of 5%, while for 2025 and 2026 the increase would be 4%. Furthermore, in those three years, they include the possibility of a 1% increase depending on the CPI and another 1% depending on the sector’s profits.

Guarantees of application of the agreed increases and non-recurring bonuses will also be requested from the entire workforce, without applying compensation, absorption or similar mechanisms.

The unions want to request an “urgent” limitation on the interest rates on loans granted to employees, with a cap of 1% until October 1, 2024, a measure that could be extended.

In this sense, they will request that minimum conditions and ‘caps’ on interest rates be included in the agreement, the commitment to negotiate the improvement of said minimums in each company and the commitment to improve or sign agreements with the Tax Agency on the compensation in kind.

To improve the work environment, they will ask at the negotiating tables for measures that act on commercial pressure, workloads, staffing, psychosocial risks and the consideration of psychological illnesses as professionals.

The unions will also work on joint proposals regarding professional careers, employment, occupational health, equality, digital rights and other aspects.

“We believe it is very important to begin the negotiation of the agreements in advance and we are committed to a short process in time, which urgently balances the contrast between record profits of the sector and loss of purchasing power of its workforce due to the impact of CPI inflation and interest rates, and that allows us to reach agreements before the holding of the shareholders’ meetings in the first quarter of 2024”, the unions conclude.

The president of FINE, Elena Díaz, has stated that the increases agreed with employers at the end of 2022 for this year have been a containment measure “in the face of the loss of purchasing power that is occurring”, although “it is not enough.” “The sector is risking its reputation if it does not distribute, also among its employees, the million-dollar benefits they are obtaining from this price crisis,” she added.