Black Friday Shopping in the Canary Islands at Risk

UGT Canarias has decided to keep its strike call for the commerce sector (SMEs in the province of Las Palmas) and the food‑service sector (in Santa Cruz de Tenerife) on 28 November, coinciding with Black Friday.

The Federation of Services, Mobility and Consumption (FeSMC) announced the decision in a statement, adding that it was taken after failing to reach an agreement in the latest meeting held on Tuesday afternoon with the employers’ association.

The union pointed out that, “despite the significant benefits accumulated by the sector over the past four years,” the employers’ side remains in positions that, in its view, do not guarantee real wage improvements.

FeSMC also noted that the proposed 3.6 % salary increase is “paper‑thin” if the absorption and compensation clause is retained, because that rise would not translate into an actual increase in take‑home pay.

“We therefore demand the removal of this clause to ensure that the agreed raise truly reaches workers’ pockets,” the union emphasized.

In response, the union proposes a 3 % increase up to 2026 and 2.5 % in 2027, using salary tables that exclude the absorption‑compensation concept.

“Despite the wealth generated by the 85,000 workers in the sector, the employers refuse to acknowledge it,” the union added.

Finally, the federation acknowledged that the employers have suggested some measures—such as introducing a life‑insurance policy or allowing early leave during the Christmas period—but “these fall far short of the collective’s demands.”