Key data
| Regulation | Resolution of June 2, 2026, from the General Labor Directorate — Collective agreement for canned goods, semi-canned goods, salted goods, smoked goods, cooked goods, dried goods, preparations, semi-processed goods and preserved fish and shellfish products |
|---|---|
| Publication | June 15, 2026 |
| Entry into force | June 16, 2026 |
| Period of validity | 2025-2030 |
| Retroactive economic effects | January 1, 2025 |
| Signatories | FEICOPESCA (employers' association), UGT-FICA and CC.OO. Industria (unions) — signed on April 7, 2026 |
| Territorial scope | All Spanish territory |
| Affected parties | Companies and workers in the fish and shellfish canning and processing sector |
| Category | Agriculture and Fishing |
| Official source | BOE-A-2026-12998 |
Fish and shellfish canning companies in Spain have an immediate financial obligation: to pay wage arrears accumulated since January 1, 2025. The new sectoral collective agreement, registered by the Resolution of June 2, 2026 from the General Labor Directorate, sets conditions that apply retroactively, making the payment of wage differences an urgent obligation for any company in the sector.
The agreement was signed on April 7, 2026 by FEICOPESCA representing the companies, and by UGT-FICA and CC.OO. Industria representing the workers. Its scope of application covers all Spanish territory and is valid until 2030.
What does this regulation establish?
The agreement comprehensively regulates the working conditions of the sector. These are the matters it covers:
- Work organization: criteria and organizational powers in companies in the sector.
- Professional classification: professional categories and groups applicable to all employees.
- Working hours: distribution, limits and working time conditions.
- Wages: wage tables with retroactive effects from January 1, 2025.
- Working conditions: other employment conditions in the sector.
The agreement expressly excludes senior management personnel. It does, however, include auxiliary activities linked to companies in the sector, such as packaging workshops or waste treatment plants.
Regarding its future validity: after expiration in 2030, the agreement is automatically renewed year by year unless one of the parties terminates it. If after termination no new agreement is reached within two years, the previous agreement remains in force until a new one is signed.
Economic and operational impact
The most immediate economic impact is the payment of wage arrears. Since the economic effects start on January 1, 2025 and the agreement was not published until June 2026, companies accumulate up to 18 months of differences between what they have paid and what the new agreement establishes. This amount must be paid during 2026.
From an operational perspective, the agreement may also involve:
- Review of employee professional classification to adapt it to the new agreement groups.
- Adjustment of working hours if current conditions do not align with what was agreed.
- Update of contracts and payroll to reflect the new conditions from January 2025.
- Inclusion of auxiliary activities (packaging workshops, waste plants) if they have not been subject to the sectoral agreement until now.
The labor planning horizon is set until 2030, which provides stability for negotiating with staff and budgeting personnel costs in the medium term.
Who does it affect?
- Manufacturing companies of canned goods, semi-canned goods, salted goods, smoked goods, cooked goods, dried goods, preparations, semi-processed goods and preserved fish and shellfish products.
- Auxiliary activities linked to those companies: packaging manufacturing workshops and waste treatment plants.
- Workers in the sector throughout Spanish territory, except senior management personnel.
- HR and payroll departments of any company in the sector, which must recalculate and pay the arrears.
- Labor advisors and management firms that provide services to canning companies.
The agreement does not apply to senior management personnel (regulated by their specific regulations).
Practical example
Imagine a medium-sized canning company in Galicia with 80 employees on staff. The new agreement establishes wage conditions with effects from January 1, 2025, but the company has been paying the wages of the previous agreement throughout 2025 and the first months of 2026.
Now that the agreement is published (June 15, 2026), the company must calculate the difference between what was paid and what the new agreement sets for each worker, month by month, from January 2025. That accumulated amount—which could represent several months of wage difference multiplied by 80 employees—must be paid in 2026.
Additionally, if the company has a packaging manufacturing workshop or a linked waste plant, workers at those facilities are also covered by this agreement, so the calculation of arrears must include them.
The HR department or labor management firm must act immediately: review the agreement's wage tables, compare with what was paid, and issue payments for differences before the end of the fiscal year.
What should companies do now?
- Review the wage tables of the new agreement and compare them with the wages paid since January 2025. Identify the differences by worker and category.
- Calculate the total amount of arrears accumulated from January 1, 2025 to the date of effective application in payroll. This payment is mandatory and cannot be indefinitely postponed.
- Pay the wage differences to workers during 2026, reflecting it correctly in payroll and with the corresponding withholdings and Social Security impacts.
- Review the professional classification of all staff to adapt it to the groups and categories established by the new agreement.
- Verify if the company's auxiliary activities (packaging workshops, waste plants) fall within the scope of the agreement and include those workers in the process.
- Update contracts and internal HR documentation to reflect the new conditions for working hours, classification and wages.
- Consult with a labor advisor about the specific impact on Social Security contributions resulting from the payment of arrears, as it may generate additional settlement obligations.
Frequently asked questions
From when do the new wage conditions of the canning agreement have economic effect?
The economic effects are retroactive to January 1, 2025, although the agreement was published in the BOE on June 15, 2026. This means that companies must pay the wage differences accumulated from that date during 2026.
What companies are required to apply this collective agreement?
All companies in the fish and shellfish canning sector in Spain: manufacturers of canned goods, semi-canned goods, salted goods, smoked goods, cooked goods, dried goods, preparations, semi-processed goods and preserved fish and shellfish products. Auxiliary activities linked such as packaging workshops or waste treatment plants are also included. Senior management personnel are excluded.
Who signed the 2025-2030 canning collective agreement?
The agreement was signed on April 7, 2026 by FEICOPESCA representing the companies, and by UGT-FICA and CC.OO. Industria representing the workers.
What happens to the agreement when it expires in 2030?
After its expiration in 2030, the agreement is automatically renewed year by year unless one of the parties formally terminates it. If it is terminated and no new agreement is reached within two years, the current agreement remains in force until a new one is signed.
Does this agreement affect workers in packaging workshops or waste treatment plants of a canning company?
Yes. The agreement expressly includes auxiliary activities linked to companies in the sector, such as packaging manufacturing workshops and waste treatment plants. Workers at those facilities are also entitled to the agreement's conditions, including arrears from January 2025.
Official source
Consult complete regulation in official source
Notice: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-12998