The social dialogue agreement provides for another three billion euros for gas and electricity.

Under the final version of the social dialogue agreement to be signed by the social partners this Sunday, the government will invest another 3,000 million euros in electricity and gas systems to cap energy prices.

According to the final document of the medium-term agreement on higher incomes, wages and competitiveness, to which Lusa had access, the government is committed to taking new measures to mitigate rising energy costs for families and businesses.

“Together with regulatory measures, an additional 3 billion euros will be invested in electricity and gas supply systems, which will limit the increase in energy prices,” says the agreement, which will be signed this Sunday between the government and four employers. confederations (CIP, CCP, CTP and CAP) and UGT except CGTP.

According to the head, “these measures lead to a significant reduction in the cost of electricity consumed by sectors of the economy, including large consumers.”

The savings will be reported by the Energy Services Regulatory Authority (ERSE) on 15 October with discounts of around €40 per megawatt hour (MWh) for gas consumed by companies that are not subject to the regulated tariff (up to 80% of consumption). “which allows savings of 20% to 30% compared to the price expected in 2023,” the agreement says.

The government and social partners, with the exception of the CGTP, reached a medium-term agreement on Saturday to raise incomes, wages and competitiveness.

The agreement will be signed this afternoon at the Foz Palace in Lisbon in a ceremony with Prime Minister António Costa on the eve of the presentation of the draft state budget for 2023 (OE2023) in Parliament.

Among the measures envisaged by the agreement are wage increases of 5.1% in 2023, 4.8% in 2024, 4.7% in 2025 and 4.6% in 2026.

“The annual assessment aims to ensure that average income per worker grows by at least 20% in 2026 compared to 2022,” the government stresses.

The document also defines the evolution of the national minimum wage from the current 705 euros to 760 euros in 2023, to 810 euros in 2024, to 855 euros in 2025 and to 900 euros in 2026.

The agreement between the partners also provides for an assessment in the Social Dialogue of the impact of the increase in the cost of housing on the family budget “in the sense of taking measures to mitigate these same impacts by the end of 2022.” “.

“At the same time, for situations in which there is a significant increase in the labor intensity of clients under loan agreements for the purchase or construction of their own permanent housing, as a result of a change in the base indicator, the Government will present a legislative initiative so that credit organizations and financial companies assess this impact on the financial capabilities of clients and after verification conditions have formulated appropriate proposals for the client’s situation,” the document says.

Apart from the government, CIP – Portuguese Business Confederation, Confederation of Commerce and Services of Portugal (CCP), Confederation of Tourism (CTP), Confederation of Farmers (CAP), UGT and CGTP are part of the Social Dialogue.