The trade unions UGT FICA Almería and CCOO Industria de Almería have called this mobilization due to the stalled negotiations, which have been ongoing for over a year and a half. The provincial collective agreement has been expired since December 31, 2024, affecting a key sector for the province's economy.
Despite Almería being a leading province in agri-food exports, with horticultural packaging as an economic pillar, the working conditions of its employees contrast sharply with these figures. The sector records some of the lowest wages and purchasing power in the country, according to union complaints.
“"The negotiating table is stalled after fourteen meetings. The business side has proposed a block that the social side considers unacceptable."
The business proposal, presented by Asempal Agricultura, Coexphal, and Ecohal Almería, includes an agreement validity until 2030, a 2% salary increase postponed to 2027, and absorption mechanisms that would nullify the impact of the Minimum Interprofessional Wage (SMI). Additionally, there is an intention to raise the weekly working hours to 48 and double the irregular working day margin to 20%.
In response to these conditions, the unions demand an agreement that adheres to the current legal framework, with a monthly salary, a 40-hour workweek with a maximum 10% irregularity, and a 4% salary increase above the SMI, set at 1,221 euros per month for 2026. The sector, predominantly composed of women and migrant workers, experiences high rates of musculoskeletal injuries due to long hours and repetitive tasks.
The immediate reference for the social side is the pre-agreement reached in Granada at the end of 2024, which included salary review according to the CPI, payment of arrears, and increases between 5.8% and 7.4%. This agreement, signed on the verge of a strike, has set a minimum threshold for the rest of Andalucía.
