PAY DROP: Workers in Spain earn less on average than they did 10 years ago

WAGES in Spain are around 3 per cent lower than they were 10 years ago, according to trade union figures.

The European Trade Union Confederation said wages had fallen in Spain as well as in Britain, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Italy and Portugal.

Luca Visentini, general secretary of the confederation, said the figures were proof the last recession had not ended for all European countries.

“The reason for this lies in the austerity measures that have dismantled minimum wage and collective bargaining systems and have enormously increased inequality as a result,” Visentini said. 

The confederation’s figures showed real wages, salaries with changes in inflation taken into account, fell by the highest amount in Greece with a 23 per cent decline since 2009.

The confederation called on the EU to act “urgently” to boost wages and improve collective bargaining rights.