Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Wednesday his cabinet would approve next week a 22 percent increase in the monthly minimum wage to 1,050 euros ($1,192) in 2019. “A rich country can’t have poor workers,” said Sanchez, who is widely expected to call an early general election in Spain next year. The measure was part of his minority Socialist government’s draft 2019 budget unveiled in October but which he is struggling to pass in the parliament, so it will now be approved by decree. The government estimated that the minimum wage hike will cost the state 340 million euros per year. PP leader Pablo Casado has said the 2019 budget, which also includes tax hikes, is “economically suicidal”.

Source: Egypt Independent December 12, 2018 13:07 UTC