For a minimum wage typical of the Balearic Islands

Article 16 of the current Statute of Autonomy of the Balearic Islands urges the regional public authorities to defend and promote the social rights of the citizens of the Balearic Islands. It is certainly one of those declaratory provisions whose impact and implementation depend on the political will of institutional bodies and non-institutional actors. In other words, the explicit absence of a specific statutory competence does not prevent the Government, Parliament, political parties, economic and social stakeholders, organized civil society, etc., from promoting debate and considering expanding self-governance capabilities to address the specific problems of the citizens of the Balearic Islands.

If we have dared to introduce into the public debate issues such as the need to gain regional powers in matters of immigration, to prohibit the sale of luxury homes to foreigners, or to manage the island airports, why should we lack the boldness to promote a process of social and political legitimization around the need to

With the exception of extremely neoliberal-Darwinian or short-sighted business positions, there is broad social consensus in our country regarding the inadequacy of wages. For example, in the recently presented Report on exclusion and social development in the Balearic Islands 2025The report, prepared by the FOESSA Foundation, highlights the inadequacy of wages to such an extent that, in a context of near full employment, social exclusion is growing among the employed population. In other words, the phenomenon of the working poor, which some have long denounced, is widening and becoming entrenched. It does so to such an extent that the aforementioned report from the foundation linked to Caritas refers to a situation of "precarious inclusion."

Let's add to this the work carried out recently by the CCOO union in promoting the concept of a 'reference salary for the Balearic Islands'. According to a 2025 study commissioned by the union and conducted by the Intercoopera Foundation, the salary sufficient to cover expenses for food, clothing and footwear, housing, transportation, education, leisure and culture, health and hygiene, and extraordinary expenses should be €2,260.47 net per year, paid in 14 installments. In other words, this amount would be necessary to live in a situation that international standards define as a 'decent standard of living'. It is undeniable that in the Balearic Islands, with such a disconnect between wages and the high cost of living (housing and basic necessities), the almost guaranteed capacity for social integration through paid work has been undermined.

Before proceeding, it's important to clarify that 'reference wage' is not at all the same as 'minimum wage'. The former is a fairly important calculation for measuring the threshold at which one enters or leaves a state of precarious employment; while the latter is a regulatory measure, a kind of red light that prevents navigating the turbulent labor market with wages lower than that set by the political authorities with the power to do so.

Undoubtedly, the issue of wages is one of today's major political matters. It is no longer solely a matter that can be delegated to collective bargaining between employers and unions, nor does it depend on the increase in the national minimum wage. It is, I insist, a crucial political issue at the regional level. Times have changed, and the long-standing precarious wages in the Balearic Islands are increasingly lower in terms of real purchasing power. Consequently, social cohesion suffers, social mobility remains stagnant, and in-work poverty becomes chronic. This is a problem that transcends empty economic concepts. The wage issue has become a matter of democratic scrutiny. We therefore need to take action to combat, through political means, what economist Miquel Puig aptly calls "wages of anger," recalling that his book of the same title warns us that "the impoverishment of many threatens the democracy of all."

This is the challenge. And to meet it, it's not enough to wait for a successful transition to a new growth model. In my opinion, the creation of a civic commission to advocate for a minimum wage specific to the Balearic Islands is necessary. If we want to govern our own country democratically, we need to be able to legislate on the minimum wage we require. It's a matter of justice and social cohesion.