Partial Inflation Compensation Salary Clauses Increasing in Popularity | Economy

The salary negotiations agreed in the collective agreements until April have remained relatively stable compared to the previous month. On average, the increase in salaries agreed upon in collective bargaining was 2.9%, affecting 8.6 million workers. Furthermore, statistics from the Ministry of Labor show that the majority of workers may be losing purchasing power this year due to inflation of around 3.2% until April.

Over time, salary guarantee clauses in negotiating processes have become more prominent, aiming to offset the loss of purchasing power when prices rise more than salaries. The percentage of workers with these protection clauses has increased significantly since the inflation crisis began in 2021, with a third of workers having clauses that do not provide retroactive compensation for lost purchasing power.

Although inflation has moderated, non-retroactive clauses in salary guarantees are gaining ground, making it easier for companies to offer compensation mechanisms. This shift allows for an increase in wage protection against inflation. Worker representatives are advocating for the inclusion of these wage guarantees in collective bargaining agreements to safeguard against potential inflationary crises.

Collective bargaining has been progressing positively in the first four months of the year, with 8.6 million workers having negotiated conditions, up 1.5 million from the previous year. The average salary increase in agreements for all workers remains at 2.9%, with sectoral agreements and inter-autonomous and provincial agreements offering the largest salary increases at 2.93%, 3.5%, and 3%, respectively.