> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://barna.news/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Catalan minimum wage bill set to fail in Parliament - URL: https://barna.news/catalan-minimum-wage-bill-set-to-fail/ - Published: 2026-10-21T13:11:38.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-21T13:11:38.000Z - Description: Junts is expected to face amendments blocking Joan Canadell’s proposal to set Catalonia’s reference minimum wage at €1,400 and make it compulsory for Generalitat civil servants. - Author: Barna.News - Tags: politics Junts’ bill to set Catalonia’s Reference Minimum Wage at €1,400 is expected to be blocked in the Parliament of Catalonia on Wednesday 21st October, after PSC, Comuns, PP and Vox said they will table amendments rejecting the proposal in full. The amendments would stop the bill from proceeding to detailed parliamentary scrutiny. For workers and employers in Catalonia, the immediate effect is that the existing reference figure of €1,372, paid in 14 instalments a year, will remain unchanged under this proposal. The figure is used as a starting point in collective bargaining, but it is not a legally enforceable minimum wage for private-sector employees. The bill, put forward by Junts MP and former Barcelona Chamber of Commerce president Joan Canadell, would raise the Salari Mínim de Referència de Catalunya (SMRC), Catalonia’s reference wage benchmark, to €1,400\. It would then make that amount compulsory for Generalitat civil servants, employees of Catalonia’s regional administration. Spain’s legal power to set a statutory minimum wage rests with the state. The SMRC was created under former Catalan president Pere Aragonès and is administered by the Generalitat’s Ministry of Business and Labour. It is calculated using measures including median earnings, with the European Union recommending a level around 60% of the median wage. --- ## Why the proposal faces opposition The Generalitat government supports an increase in the SMRC and says it is working on the matter, according to Crónica Global. It does not support requiring higher pay for Generalitat administration staff through a law which would not ensure comparable rises in the private sector. That distinction matters to private-sector workers because a higher SMRC can inform negotiations between unions and employers by setting a benchmark, but the proposed law would not itself oblige companies to raise wages. Any sector-wide private-sector agreement requires support from the relevant employers’ associations and unions. Employers’ associations oppose the Canadell bill, according to the report. The government has said their involvement is essential if pay is to rise through sectoral bargaining tables, while unions are fully in favour of increasing the benchmark. The proposal also asks the Generalitat to allocate funding to help employers reach the €1,400 level. It further seeks a reduction in the regional portion of income tax so that lower and middle-income households have enough income to meet basic costs. --- ## ERC’s vote could decide whether debate continues ERC had not decided whether to support a full-rejection amendment or abstain, while the CUP had also not made its position clear, according to the report. PSC, Comuns, PP and Vox are expected to vote for rejection. - **If the full-rejection amendments pass:** the bill will not enter the parliamentary process. - **If a late agreement changes the government’s position:** the proposal could proceed to the amendment stage. - **If ERC does not support a full-rejection amendment:** its stance could be relevant to whether Junts’ proposal remains under consideration. Junts and the government begin from widely differing positions on the text, the report says. The expected parliamentary decision on Wednesday 21st October will determine whether the €1,400 proposal advances or is halted at its first legislative stage. --- *Reported by cronicaglobal.cat, cronicaglobal.elespanol.com, ground.news, democrata.es, Crónica Global (CA).* --- ### Related on Barna.News - [Catalan Government to Aid Small Towns in Securing EU Funds](https://barna.news/catalan-government-to-aid-small-towns/) - [Illa Seeks EU Aid for Catalan Farmers](https://barna.news/illa-seeks-eu-aid-for-catalan-farmers/) - [Catalonia to liberalise car inspections](https://barna.news/catalonia-to-liberalise-car-inspections/) - [ERC and Junts honour Companys amid election tensions](https://barna.news/erc-and-junts-honour-companys-amid/)