Government and unions agreed on a 14.62% salary increase for public employees

The national government entered into an agreement with the public sector unions salary increase of 14.62% for 2023, an adjustment that exceeds the 7.26% established in 2022. The parties agreed to an increase of 13.12% corresponding to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) 2022, plus 1.5%.

In addition, they agreed on a 1.6% increase for the next year, plus the Consumer Price Index (CPI) of 2023.

The agreement was reached in the Public Sector Negotiation Tableof which the trade union organizations of the sector are part and, on behalf of the national government, the Public Function, the Ministries of Labor and the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit, as well as the National Planning Department (DNP).

The conference was chaired by the Deputy Director of Public Function, Jesus Hernando Amado; the Vice Minister of Labor Relations of the Ministry of Labour, Edwin Palma Aegea; and the technical vice-minister (e) of the Ministry of Finance, Daniel Esteban Osorioon behalf of the national government.

It’s important pointing that salary increases for 2023 and 2024 cover public servants of the National Executive Branch, Judicial Branch and teacherswhich will receive the adjustment retroactively to January 1, 2023.

While for the Legislative branch, uniformed, official employees and territorial servantsthe adjustment is made according to the autonomy of these entitiesbut taking as reference the increases agreed at the Public Sector Negotiation Table.

The step to follow for the salary increase to materialize is the issuance of the salary increase decrees that govern each current salary regimework in which the Public Function, the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit, and the Administrative Department of the Presidency of the Republic (Dapre), are working from now on to make it available for the signature of the President of the Republic.

In this regard, the Minister of Labor, Gloria Ines Ramirezstressed that this increase will benefit more than 1,324,000 workers of state entities in the country.

For his part, before the end of the negotiation, President Gustavo Petro celebrated the announcement through Twitter.

“After several sessions and counteroffers between unions and the Government, an agreement was reached so that public employees have a salary increase for this year of CPI plus 1.5%for a total of 14.62%”, trilled the president.

However, he received several responses that reflected that the increase turned out not to be so positive.

For example, the social communicator and journalist John David Galindoa specialist in Economics, reminded the president that last year the salary rose CPI + 1.64%which means that “in real terms the increase is the same as in 2022, even less if we put the decimals in it”.

Meanwhile, the expert in Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain Carlos Murillo noted that although the aforementioned salary agreement refers specifically to the public sector, this increase could have an impact on discussions about the minimum wage for other workers.

Murillo explained that, generally, an increase in public sector wages can influence the negotiations for the minimum wage, since the Government seeks to maintain a balance between salaries in the public and private sectors

However, it pointed out that the aforementioned wage agreement does not directly determine the increase in the minimum wage, but may be indicative of salary trends in Colombia.