635 euros gross : Portugal proposes an increase of the national minimum wage in 2020
Portuguese government has proposed Wednesday, November 13 that the minimum wage is set at 635 euros from 1 January 2020, according to the proposal presented Wednesday at the meeting of social dialogue and sent to the media. In this document, the government proposes that "the value of the monthly minimum guaranteed remuneration be set at 635 euros gross starting from 1 January 2020" and suggests that "the impact of updating the minimum wage" should be regularly monitored. to be in agreement. with the social partners. "This increase has yet to be validated and accepted by the social partners, employers as a trade union, association of bosses has already expressed reservations about this increase in the minimum wage.
635 euros gross : Portugal proposes an increase of the national minimum wage in 2020
5% increase for the minimum wage?
At its Wednesday's meeting with unions and employers, the Portuguese government also proposed a broader agreement with the social partners going beyond the minimum wage: "The government proposes to launch a discussion within the Standing Committee for Social Dialogue with a view to reaching a medium-term agreement on wages, incomes and competitiveness, in connection with priority issues such as the promotion of qualified young people, the reconciliation of professional life, personal life and family and vocational training. "Many big words that will have small effects as usual.
The Portuguese minimum wage increased last year to 600 euros gross per month, a figure agreed by most social partners, with the exception of the CGTP. For the next year, the Portuguese government now confirms that it wants a further increase, this time from 35 euros gross monthly. Last week, after hearing the social partners, the new Minister of Labor, Solidarity and Social Security, Ana Mendes Godinho, defended "as balanced a development as possible" of the national minimum wage.
The bosses want an increase of only 20 euros, the unions 60
In the inaugural address at the end of October, the Portuguese Prime Minister said that the government had "aim to reach 750 euros by 2023", justifying this increase by "the important role played by the minimum wage on inequalities".
For the President of the Confederation of Portuguese Enterprises, António Costa's wish is "ambitious". "In a legislature with economic signals a little more complicated than before, it seems ambitious to me to want to increase the salary by 150 euros by 2023", said António Saraiva during the program Três da Manhã on radio Renascença.
Unions and bosses do not agree on increasing the minimum wage in Portugal
More than one worker out of five at the minimum wage
Most of Portugal's employers' confederations advocate raising the national minimum wage to € 625 gross by 2020, a figure which for the UGT is "low". Carlos Silva advocates for his part an increase to 660 euros, to reach 800 euros in 2023.
According to the latest government data, the number of workers receiving the national minimum wage was 720,800 in September, down 3.8% from the same month last year. Between January and September, 20.1% of workers in Portugal were paid minimum wage.