In a joint statement, the four organizations, which are part of the Strike Committee, made clear that the labor dispute remains open to dialogue despite disagreements among the different union representatives. "We reject portraying the conflict as if there had been no progress when there has been," they said.
PAY RISES AND BETTER WORKING CONDITIONS TO CALL OFF THE STRIKE
On the financial side, the unions outlined a proposal that includes salary increases of 1.5% in 2025, between 2% and 2.5% in 2026, and between 3.5% and 4% in 2027. It also proposes maintaining the seniority system, increasing the side-loading allowance by two euros per day, paying the night-shift allowance for each calendar day, and raising compensation for death or disability to 40,000 euros.
The labor improvements include converting 50 employees to full-time contracts, with 25 moving to this arrangement on November 1, 2026, and another 25 on January 1, 2027, according to seniority. The proposal also includes one hour of flexibility at the start or end of the working day to take children under 12 to school, extending leave following the death of first-degree relatives, and making progress on internal promotion.
These measures are joined by the unblocking of salary advances, improvements in communications with the committee, and the possibility of combining maternity and paternity leave with holidays. The equality plan, the LGBTI protocol and the harassment protocol have also been addressed, along with improvements to Saturday rest periods and work-life balance, one of the employees’ main demands.
Angélica Mazo, deputy general secretary of UGT Public Services Aragón, denounced that employees had been "losing purchasing power for far too long" and lacked serious work-life balance measures. She therefore insisted that they would not settle for just any agreement, but that it "must be verifiable and genuinely improve workers’ conditions."
OCTOBER 13, A KEY DATE FOR ZARAGOZA’S CLEANING STRIKE
The next meeting to try to bring the sides closer together will take place on Tuesday, October 13, at the Aragon Mediation and Arbitration Service (SAMA), at the request of the four unions. Their aim is to continue talks with greater legal certainty and reach an agreement that is sustainable for the company and beneficial to workers.
The dispute has forced Zaragoza City Council to establish minimum service levels of up to 94.81% during the festivities, with the aim of ensuring clean streets as thousands of visitors arrive. Mayor Natalia Chueca said Saturday that she hoped the company and unions would reach an agreement in the coming days and assured that the council would seek to minimize inconvenience for residents.
Meanwhile, USO, UGT, CSIF and Independiente have reiterated their willingness to continue negotiating to end the dispute. "We are committed to dialogue and to achieving tangible results for employees. Seriousness and responsibility in negotiations are essential to making progress on labor rights," Mazo concluded.
