UPTA Spain has denounced the blockage of the social dialogue table for the RETA reform, which has seen months without progress. The organization warns that freezing contributions in 2027 would harm more than two million self-employed workers.
The Union of Professionals and Self-Employed Workers of Spain (UPTA) has focused on the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration due to the stagnation of the committed reforms for the Special Regime for Self-Employed Workers (RETA). The organization believes that, having passed the halfway point of 2026, the social dialogue table remains blocked with no progress on the agreements reached with representative entities of self-employment.
Blocked reforms and rising contributions
Among the pending issues, UPTA expresses particular concern over the lack of progress in the reform of activity cessation and the implementation schedule for the new system of real income contributions. The organization reminds that these measures were part of the agreements reached and that their delay harms the improvement of rights for the collective.
While those reforms remain blocked, UPTA denounces that the only measures applied have resulted in a significant increase in contributions for more than 1.3 million corporate self-employed and collaborating self-employed workers. According to the organization, this group has seen their contributions rise by over 30%, reaching 448 euros per month.
This contributory effort has strengthened the revenues of the RETA. According to data handled by UPTA, the collection now exceeds 613 million euros per month, representing more than 184 million euros additional each month. For the entity, these figures demonstrate that there are sufficient resources to continue developing the committed reform.
UPTA insists that the goal of the new model was never just to increase revenue, but to build a fairer system, improve access to activity cessation, and guarantee pensions and benefits in line with the real income of self-employed workers.
“Resources exist and so do agreements”
The president of UPTA, Eduardo Abad, has been emphatic in assessing the situation. “The data dismantles any argument for further delaying the reform. Self-employed workers have already made a significant economic effort, and that effort is translating into a very relevant increase in revenue,” he stated.
“The data dismantles any argument for further delaying the reform. Self-employed workers have already made a significant economic effort, and that effort is translating into a very relevant increase in revenue.”
Abad argues that it is now up to the Ministry to fulfil the agreements reached and transform those resources into more rights and better social protection. The organization warns that freezing contributions in 2027 would break the agreed schedule and prolong a situation that particularly harms more than two million self-employed individuals, who continue to contribute below their actual earnings.
Abad has also lamented the blockage of negotiations. “We do not understand why, after months without progress, the dialogue table remains paralysed. Self-employed workers cannot continue waiting while the committed reforms remain tucked away in a drawer,” he asserted.
For UPTA, the RETA reform is halfway done and must be completed as soon as possible. The organization demands the immediate convening of the negotiation table to advance in the modification of activity cessation and in the definitive development of the real income contribution system.
The underlying message is clear: social dialogue only makes sense if agreements are fulfilled. Therefore, UPTA warns that it will not accept further delays in a reform it considers crucial for the future of self-employment in Spain and for the protection of those who sustain thousands of small businesses every day.
For self-employed workers, the situation is clear: if negotiations are not resumed, next year they could face a freeze on contributions that, according to UPTA, would leave more than two million self-employed workers with lower pensions. The ball is now in the Ministry's court, which must decide whether to convene the dialogue table before the end of 2026.
You may also like
