CSIF and the Garafía City Council have signed the agreement for the new collective agreement for the workforce, which includes a bonus of 300 euros for working on New Year's Eve and new social benefits. The previous agreement dated back almost twenty years.
The Garafía City Council has taken a historic step for its workforce: the signing of the agreement for the new collective agreement, the first in almost twenty years. The document, signed by the CSIF union and the municipal corporation, introduces significant salary improvements, such as a productivity bonus of 300 euros for those working the evening-night shift on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, and 150 euros for the morning shift. Additionally, social benefits for education, weddings, and healthcare expenses are created, and the 35-hour workweek is maintained.
The agreement is the preliminary step to the formal approval of the agreement, which will replace a text that had not been updated for two decades. According to CSIF, the majority union in the Works Council, UGT has committed to joining the signing later. The agreement regulates the working conditions of the municipal staff, in one of the least populated municipalities in La Palma, where each improvement has a direct impact on the quality of life of the workers.
Bonus for working on New Year's Eve and Christmas Eve
One of the most tangible new features is the productivity bonus for December 24 and 31. Employees covering the morning shift will receive 150 euros per day, while those on the evening-night shift will receive 300 euros. This measure aims to compensate for the effort of working on significant dates and, according to union sources, responds to a historical demand from the workforce.
Furthermore, overtime hours and repayable advances—salary advances that are repaid in instalments—will also increase substantially. Holidays worked will be compensated at 50% in cash and 50% in time off, a mixed formula that allows the worker to choose between extra income or free time.
New social benefits
The agreement incorporates benefits that previously did not exist or were merely symbolic. Among them are benefits for weddings, seniority, and education, as well as provisions for healthcare expenses not covered by public health, such as dentistry, prosthetics, orthopaedics, and surgical procedures. In a small workforce like that of Garafía, these benefits represent significant financial relief for workers and their families.
The 100% improvement in temporary incapacity is also maintained, meaning the employee continues to receive their full salary while on sick leave. This condition, which already existed in the previous agreement, is consolidated as one of the pillars of the agreement.
Working hours, leave, and promotion
The workweek remains at 35 hours, one of the shortest in local administration. The agreement also updates the regime of leave, holidays, and breaks, adapting it to current labour regulations and service needs.
In terms of career development, the agreement opens pathways for internal and horizontal promotion. Internal promotion allows for advancement within the City Council, while horizontal promotion enables progression and improved pay without changing positions. This, according to CSIF, is key to retaining talent and motivating the workforce.
The path to the agreement
CSIF has highlighted that this agreement is part of the roadmap set two years ago when it won the union elections in the City Council. Before this agreement, the union had promoted the workplace harassment protocol, the equality protocol, and the Productivity Regulation. The next step, they announce, is the preparation of the Job Position Relationship (RPT), the document that orders the positions of the City Council, their functions, and their remuneration, which is usually the basis for competitions, transfers, and promotions.
The union has thanked the mayor and the government team for their willingness to finalize the agreement. Now, the formal approval process of the text and its official publication in the corresponding bulletin remains, at which point the improvements will begin to be applied to the payrolls. For the workers of Garafía, this signifies a new era: after almost twenty years, they will finally have an agreement adapted to the current reality.
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