Lidl and the unions have signed the IV Collective Agreement, which foresees an investment of €280 million and guaranteed salary increases of 15% until 2030.
The supermarket chain Lidl sealed its IV Collective Agreement this Friday in Barcelona, an agreement that includes a historic investment of €280 million and guaranteed salary increases of 15% until the year 2030. The pact, signed by management and representatives from CCOO and UGT, affects the entire workforce in Spain and aims to improve working conditions in a context of inflation.
A record investment agreement
The new agreement, valid until 2030, contemplates an investment of more than €70 million just during the 2026 financial year. The company will allocate these funds to salary increases, improvements in pay for Sundays and holidays, and a package of social benefits to facilitate work-life balance. According to the company, this is the largest investment effort in a collective agreement in its history in Spain.
The CEO of Lidl Spain, Claus Grande, highlighted that “the signing of this IV Collective Agreement is the consolidation of our commitment to the engine that drives this company: the people.” Grande added that the agreement “ensures that our growth always goes hand in hand with the well-being of our collaborators, providing economic security and guaranteeing very significant salary increases for the next four years.”
“The signing of this IV Collective Agreement is the consolidation of our commitment to the engine that drives this company: the people.”
Union reactions: a cutting-edge labour framework
The unions have positively assessed the agreement. The General Secretary of CCOO Services, Ramón González, stated that “we are facing a new labour framework that is at the forefront of the sector in terms of salaries and working hours.” González emphasized that “workers will have guaranteed salary increases, better pay on Sundays and holidays, and historic advances in work-life balance and rest.” Furthermore, he pointed out that “this agreement should set the path for the negotiation of future collective and sectoral agreements.”
For his part, the General Secretary of FeSMC-UGT, Antonio Oviedo, recalled that “after years marked by high inflation, thousands of workers in our sectors have seen that making ends meet has not been an easy task.” Oviedo particularly valued “that this agreement contributes to recovering purchasing power and distributing the good business results more fairly.”
“We particularly value that this agreement contributes to recovering purchasing power and distributing the good business results more fairly.”
What it means for Lidl workers
The agreement affects around 18,000 employees of Lidl in Spain. The salary increases will be applied progressively until 2030, with a cumulative increase of 15%. Additionally, conditions for working on Sundays and holidays will be improved, and rights related to work-life balance, such as leave and flexible hours, will be strengthened. For part-time workers, improvements in working hours and pay have also been agreed upon.
The agreement includes a package of social benefits that covers health insurance, allowances for children or studies, and discounts on products from the chain. The company has stated that these measures aim to “ensure the well-being” of the workforce and “facilitate the reconciliation of work and personal life.”
The agreement is signed at a time when the distribution sector faces pressures from rising costs and margin pressures. Lidl, which has experienced sustained growth in Spain, sees this agreement as a tool to retain talent and improve productivity.
The signing took place in Barcelona, with the presence of CEO Claus Grande, Regional Operations Director Jesús Toro, and union representatives Ramón González and Antonio Oviedo. The agreement will be in effect until 31 December 2030, and its application will be reviewed annually. Workers can consult the full details on the notice boards of their centres or through union delegates.
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