The unions LAB, UGT and CCOO stress the importance of the principle according to the employer SEA, which affects some 25,000 metal workers in Álava. "We have recovered an agreement that affected almost 20 years of fall," LAB said. They have made improvements through strikes and mobilizations, according to the unions. ELA, however, strongly criticises the agreement by saying that "minority objectives" are not achieved and that if the days of strike had been maintained, more would have been achieved.
The wage increase is agreed as follows: 2% in 2021 for the lowest categories (less than 18,000 euros) and 1.5% for the others (more than 18,000 euros); 6.5% in 2022; 3% in 2023; 2.5% in 2024; and 2% in 2025. The pact will be extended until that year and, once it is extinguished, the revision of the CPI is foreseen. It is agreed that seniority is also linked to increases (frozen since 2018). However, ELA says that the wage increase will affect the minority of workers: "These increases only apply to metal boards, therefore to a minority. The vast majority of workers will have no salary improvement."
The following improvements are included: indefinite ultraactivity; derogation clause; 8-hour shift decrease; equalization of married and de facto couples in permits, extension of health care permits to all Public Health Services (until now exclusive to Osakidetza) and that the short leave includes the date of commencement of work in the text; extension of working time in the BIZAIA (optical work line)
In addition, the new convention provides for the existence of an equality commission in which the LGTBI+ group will have visibility. Also in case of I.T. of employment origin, the components will be 100% from day one in Real Wages.