Catalan Parliament advances law for regional reference minimum wage

The Parliament of Catalonia has approved the first stage of a legislative proposal to establish a regional reference minimum wage. The initiative, proposed by the Junts party, aims to set a monthly wage of approximately 1,400 euros, totaling 19,600 euros annually across 14 payments. This figure exceeds the current Spanish national minimum wage of 17,094 euros.

Because the authority to set the mandatory national minimum wage rests with the central Spanish government, the proposal seeks to implement the regional figure through collective bargaining in the private sector and direct application within the Catalan administration. The law also suggests using public contract criteria and tax incentives to encourage companies, particularly SMEs and those receiving public subsidies, to adhere to this reference level.

The proposal passed after the PSC and Comuns parties withdrew their amendments to the totality of the bill. Support was provided by most groups, while the PP and Vox parties opposed the measure. Opponents argued that the initiative oversteps regional competencies and suggested focusing on reducing absenteeism and improving public concession offers instead.