The Portuguese Association of Distribution Companies (APED) and the Union of Workers and Technicians of Services, Commerce, Restaurants and Tourism (SITESE) have agreed to update the entry salary, by five euros above the minimum wage, in 2023 and 2024.
The commitment consists of an agreement to update the Collective Labor Agreement (CCT), signed this Wednesday, which APED assures ensures “a true modernization” of Distribution and Retail and that responds to the current needs of the labor market and the macroeconomic context .
In a statement released this Thursday, APED pointed out that the new agreed TMC includes an entry salary higher than the National Minimum Wage and the sector’s commitment to, in 2023 and 2024, “the entry salary is at least five euros above” the minimum wage established by the Government.
It was also agreed to increase the food allocation to six euros and an average increase in the salary scale of 4.8%, the latter retroactive to March 2022.
APED and SITESE also agreed on “the merger of salary tables throughout the peninsular territory”, which will thus have a single value regardless of the municipality where the establishment is located.
“This was a situation long claimed by the unions to which the member companies of APED were sensitive,” they highlight in a statement.
The CCT also provides for a special bonus scheme, of up to two days, in addition to the 22 days already provided, which they consider a recognition to reward the effort and commitment of workers, in line with modernization and integration policies. and balance between “family and work”.
The CCT was also updated on the prevention of harassment and discrimination and also includes an agreement on the Hours Bank Regime, a flexibility mechanism that APED and SITESE recall as “fundamental” for workers and companies.
“The agreement now concluded is a historic moment and contributes to the valorization of Distribution and its human resources”, they emphasize in the note issued, recalling that this is the first agreement signed after months of negotiations with the unions.
“Projecting the sector and valuing our employees is essential, at a time when we all face new challenges, with an adverse economic environment. This agreement symbolizes and materializes the social responsibility that the sector assumes in the face of its greatest asset: the people who work with us”, the president of APED, Isabel Barros, points out in the statement, adding that the association will continue negotiating with the unions to enhance union bargaining and improve working conditions.
Source: Observadora
