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PLEX Additional 0,5% Salary Increase for 2023

    10/11/2023.
    FOTO - Actualización Salarial 2023.

    FOTO - Actualización Salarial 2023.

    INFORMATION NOTE

    PLEX: Additional 0.5% salary increase for 2023

    As we stated in our previous information notes regarding the PLEX salary increase agreement for 2023, we would like to inform that the Technical Commission (CTPLEX) met last Wednesday, November 8th, to resume negotiations on the additional 0.5% wage increase featured within the 2022 Administration-Trade Union’s Framework Agreement (which places the total pay rise at 3% for the current year), thus complying with the commitment adopted by the Administration to complete this negotiation during the last four-month period of the year.

    The meeting was moderated by the Deputy Director General of Human Resources, Planning and Compensation of the Ministry of Finance and Public Function, and was attended by the Deputy Director General of Personnel of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, representatives of the various Ministries with presence abroad, as well as Union Representatives from CSIF, CCOO and UGT.

    The Deputy Director General of Human Resources began the meeting by making a general mapping of our sector, which includes workplaces in 162 countries and a total of 5,800 PLEX employees; these data come from a study carried out by our Civil Service, within an inter-ministerial working group created ad hoc to evaluate and correct the numerous issues affecting our sector. In this way, he made a tour of the various issues that, according to our Public Function, must be taken into consideration in the face of the upcoming PLEX’s collective bargaining efforts that will resume in January 2024, and which will address our main historical demands.

    As part of this effort, the trade unions present at the meeting emphasized the urgent need to start developing the PLEX Working Conditions Agreement of 2008, and requested the Administration's commitment to set up a meeting schedule that may allow us to resume the study of the Administration-Trade Union’s Agreement of 1990, as a basis for the ordinary salary revision, a fact-based analysis of the staffing needs overseas, as well as a professional classification system and the possibility of horizontal internal promotion, as key elements to ensure talent retention and career development within the Spanish Foreign Service.

    On the other hand, the Deputy Director addressed the difficulties that some Departments have experienced in the interpretation of the July 14th Resolution of the Secretary of State on the mandatory salary adjustments provided for within the local legislation in some countries. CCOO and UGT specifically stressed the need to apply the salary increases derived from the Framework Agreement of 2022 to the entire PLEX collective, without any distinction, pursuant to the spirit and literal wording of the Agreement itself.

    As a result, the CTPLEX will meet again on Thursday, November 16th, to work on the final text of the Agreement, and to submit it to the Secretary of State for Civil Service for its publication and immediate application by all the affected Ministries.

    From UGT-Exterior and CCOO-Exterior we sincerely appreciate the trust placed in both of our teams and the commitment shown by our members, which encourages us to continue working with a common objective: to improve the working conditions of the Spanish Administration's staff overseas and to protect our labor rights and job security. Lastly, we would like to inform that once the new Government is formed, we will demand the immediate reopening of the PLEX collective bargaining.

    Madrid, November 10th, 2023