TWO key national supermarkets have reviewed their pay-scales in light of the sharp rise in retail prices inflation across Europe in the past few months.
Supply and transport issues throughout the wider continent, not just the European Union itself, have seen groceries, fuel and energy bills soar – and Spain is not exempt.
According to the National Statistics Institute (INE), consumer prices rose by 6.7% in December alone, which automatically means salaries are worth less, spending power has shrunk, and debates have begun at State level.
Major national unions, including the Labourers' Commissions (CCOO) and General Workers' Union (UGT) are putting pressure on the business community to speed up collective bargaining on working conditions agreements and give employees in their sectors a pay increase.
Supermarket chains Mercadona and SuperCor, part of the Corte Inglés department store group, have already gone a step ahead and announced wage increases for 2022.
Mercadona staff will receive approximately 5% more in their monthly pay packets, making it the first national company to reach this decision.
Entry-level employees at Mercadona have been earning a gross monthly salary of €1,338, giving a take-home pay of around €1,132, until this year, and a 5% rise will give them a before-tax wage of €1,404 a month, or €1,179 after tax.
Staff automatically get a rise after each year of service in any case, up to a maximum of four years; those who have been on the payroll for two years earn a gross monthly wage of €1,470, or about €1,226 after tax, which – with a 5% increase – would now go up to €1,543.50 before tax, giving a take-home pay of €1,278 per month.
Gross pay after three years' service is €1,631 a month, or about €1,341 net, which would in theory now have risen to a before-tax monthly pay of €1,712.55, or a take-home monthly income of €1,398.80.
By four years and thereafter, Mercadona pays a gross monthly salary of €1,811, or approximately €1,468 take-home, and with an extra 5%, would now be €1,901.55 before tax, or a net monthly pay packet of €1,533.
Part-time workers at Mercadona, who do 50% of the usual hours, have until now earned a gross monthly salary of €669 (about €616.60 after tax), and a 5% rise would give them a before-tax pay of €702.45 (€650 take-home per month).
SuperCor followed very quickly on Mercadona's tail, announcing 2022 would bring a 5.9% increase for all its staff after having struck a deal with three major unions.
General shop staff will now receive €14,310 a year, or a take-home monthly pay of €1,043; senior shop workers will get €15,289 a year, or an after-tax monthly salary of €1,088, and entry-level workers on the lowest pay grade will receive €14,150 a year, or a net monthly income of €1,036.
Also, SuperCor has agreed with the unions to a reduction in working Sundays and bank holidays, which will be limited to 55% of these in 2022 and 50% in 2023.
