The CEOE accuses Díaz of making "political use" of the SMI "on the eve of the elections" and asks to negotiate with the next Government starting in December

A resounding statement from the business owners after having learned "through the press" of the increase in the interprofessional minimum wage (SMI) that Yolanda Díaz wants to approve. CEOE and Cepyme consider that the increase proposed by the Ministry of Labor in the text that it has submitted to a public hearing without social dialogue and skipping the recommendation of its committee of experts "represents a political use of its legislative capacity on the eve of the general elections." In this context, the employers' association asks to negotiate with the Government to leave the polls on November 29 "starting in the month of December."

"The Ministry of Labor convened the social partners this Wednesday to present the report prepared by the experts on the SMI, which had previously been leaked to the media, and carry out a supposed dialogue process. Subsequently, without articulating any proposal in this meeting, the Ministry proceeded, on Wednesday night, to set an increase of 5.3%, which we have also learned about from the press," the businessmen's statement begins.

In this context, CEOE and Cepyme consider that "a few days before the start of the electoral campaign for the general elections on November 29, the appropriate thing would be to reserve this decision for the Executive that is elected, regardless of the political color, and adopt it before the end of 2026, respecting the legal deadlines."

According to the employers' association, this alternative would also allow for more precise economic indicators "in a context of uncertainty." Therefore, for business owners there is an alternative, against what the Ministry of Labor defends in the economic report that accompanies the royal decree, and that is to "act with institutional loyalty, wait for the electoral result and adopt the decision with greater technical information."

For CEOE and CEPYME "the improvement of the lowest incomes must be a shared objective and compatible with the creation and maintenance of employment, the competitiveness and productivity of companies and the proper functioning of collective bargaining." But business owners warn that "these decisions especially affect small businesses and labor-intensive sectors, as well as numerous families who need to hire care services to be able to carry out their professional activity and who will see their costs increase above the CPI."

Finally, the employers' associations led by Antonio Garamendi and Ángela de Miguel highlight that "the Government's actions are especially surprising, as it promotes wage increases while maintaining for almost a decade without resolving the updating of public contracts to allow the awarded companies to pass on these higher labor costs", a historic demand of businessmen every time the debate opens in Spain on the increase in the SMI.