Spanish unions break catering sector labor negotiations

Spanish labor unions CCOO and UGT have officially declared the negotiations for the state collective bargaining agreement for the collective catering sector broken. The breakdown follows a meeting with the employer organization Food Service España, which described the unions' proposals as ‘unacceptable.’

The unions are demanding a reduction in annual working hours, a significant wage increase, the correction of pay disparities between categories, and the formal recognition of professional categories currently used in practice but omitted from the agreement. CCOO and UGT specifically criticized the refusal to raise salary scales that are currently tied to the Minimum Interprofessional Wage (SMI), arguing that current pay does not reflect the work performed or the profit margins of companies in the sector.

The agreement regulates working conditions for staff in school cafeterias, hospital catering, nursing homes, sports centers, and corporate dining halls. With no date set to resume talks, the unions announced they will soon release a schedule for mobilizations and actions to defend workers' rights.