Spanish Foreign Office workers in the UK to go on strike

The representations of the Spanish Diplomatic Mission in the UK will be operating with reduced staff, as their locally hired workers are intending to start industrial action following months of unsuccessful communications with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Madrid. They are asking the Spanish Government for pay increases and wage parity after years of wage freeze.

The affected workers find themselves in a position of extreme insecurity and vulnerability caused by reduced purchasing power since their last annual salary adjustment in 2008. In addition, they are facing the effects of the cost-of-living crisis, amid significant rises in inflation and National Insurance contributions, while being restricted to three of the UK’s costliest cities. As a result, some salaries will be illegally under the threshold of UK’s National Minimum Wage after the next adjustment, causing real difficulties for workers.

This situation has led to a sense of abandonment by the Spanish Authorities, which has been particularly felt by the more established members of the team. Due to this lack of salary adjustment, some senior staff now find their salaries to be lower than those who have recently joined the team – that rarely reach 25k. Under these circumstances, they cannot foresee a future at the Spanish Mission.

On the first day of strike, today at 12:30pm, workers from the four offices will be demonstrating and picketing at the Embassy of Spain, in the London neighbourhood of Belgravia.