The Basque Government has opened the debate about the possibility of setting a Minimum Interprofessional Salary (SMI) Own, superior to the current in the whole of Spain. The Lehendakari, Imanol Pradales, said Thursday that in Euskadi “there are conditions” to apply a higher remuneration level, provided that “from the agreement of the social agents” and not through a unilateral decision.
A SMI superior to Spain
The proposal begins with the beginning of the new political course, after the celebration of the First Governing Council. Pradales recalled that in July his executive presented at the social dialogue table a “serious, thorough and rigorous” analysis about the viability of a minimum regional salary. The report, as explained, constitutes the basis for a negotiation with unions and business organizations that still shows reluctance. “We have to continue working, stirring obstacles, because there are resistances by social agents and these issues always have time,” he acknowledged.
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The Lehendakari explained that the initiative appears on the economic agenda of its cabinet at the same level as other issues, such as the reduction of the wage gap or the impact of European funds. In his opinion, a Basque SMI would reinforce the capacity of collective bargaining and improve the position of workers with lower salaries.
It should be remembered that right now, the minimum wage is at 1,184 euros monthly gross in 14 payments (which are 16,576 euros per year), after the successive increases applied by the Ministry of Labor since 2019. In recent years, the measure has been defended by the central government as a tool for the improvement of purchasing power, although business sectors have expressed concern about its effect on employment.
The competence to set the minimum wage corresponds to the State and is approved by Royal Decree in the Council of Ministers. The Basque Executive, even so, raises an SMI of agreement, that is, a negotiated threshold in Euskadi in the framework of the social dialogue, which could be placed above the state.
Evolution of the minimum interprofessional salary in Spain
The minimum interprofessional salary in Spain has risen in recent years, but more since 2019, when it experienced one of the most notable increases from 735.90 to 900 euros per month. In 2022, the 1,000 euros barrier exceeded for the first time and in 2025 reaches 1,184 euros per month in 14 payments, which is equivalent to 16,576 euros gross per year, according to official data from the Ministry of Labor. If we look at the beginning of the SMI, it has gone from 424.80 euros in 2000 to triple in a quarter of a century.