The Retail Textile Association Spain (ARTE), which groups large chains such as Inditex, Mango, Primark and H&M, among other fashion brands, has insisted that the pre-agreement recently reached for what will be the first state collective bargaining agreement for large textile and footwear retail chains represents a "significant advance" in the ordering of the sector. The business organization trusts in the "negotiating will" of the social agents after the CIG and UGT unions have called strikes in the textile sector for this week.
The employers' association signed this pre-agreement last March 26 with CCOO and Fetico, after more than three years of conversations, which incorporates improvements in hiring, salaries, and working hours for more than 100,000 employees in Spain.
In its statement, ARTE underlines that the preliminary pact represents a "significant advance" in the regulation of textile trade by establishing a common framework "more homogeneous and a solid base" on which to continue working in the coming weeks, in order to complete its drafting and proceed to the definitive signing of the agreement.
The association recalls that the definition of six homogeneous professional categories for the entire country has been agreed upon, in addition to introducing various improvements in the working conditions of the staff. With this, the sector's "negotiating effort" to continue with its professionalization and revalue the textile trade is highlighted.
"We want to emphasize that we have always approached the creation of a state agreement to define a common framework of reference that eliminates inequalities and promotes the equality of workers in our sector," they have stressed from ARTE.
Among the points already closed, the employers' association highlights the guarantee that no worker in the sector will see their salary conditions diminished and that, in cases where there are higher amounts from the previous framework, guarantee mechanisms ("ad personam" supplement) will be put in place to safeguard the rights of professionals. Likewise, salary increases for 2027 and 2028 are contemplated.
The pre-agreement also incorporates a progressive reduction of the annual working day by 50 hours. In this way, the current average working day of 1,790 hours will be reduced to 1,770 hours in 2026, 1,760 in 2027, and 1,740 in 2028. In addition, the voluntary nature of work on Sundays and holidays is established, along with a bonus of up to 80 euros in 2028, which will be applied progressively starting in 2026, always respecting higher amounts already in force.
The president of ARTE, Ana López-Casero, has reiterated that the aspects already included in the pre-agreement "not only represent a significant improvement in working conditions for a group of more than 100,000 people throughout Spain, but also establish additional guarantees to prevent any situation in which there is a reduction of rights, particularly regarding remuneration".
"And we must not forget that any company in the sector will be able to improve what is stipulated in the final agreement or maintain conditions where they are already superior to those stipulated in this pre-agreement", he/she/it stressed.
In this scenario, ARTE calls for "rigor, a sense of responsibility and commitment" from trade union organizations to finalize a reference text for a "strategic sector" such as that of large fashion retail chains. The employers' association expects social agents to demonstrate their "negotiating will" in the coming weeks and join the "historic opportunity" that, in its opinion, this process represents.