20% more is charged

There is a very specific reason why thousands of Spaniards dedicate years of their lives to prepare oppositions for become public officials. It is not only the job stability that working for public administrations offers. It’s also about salaries. The numbers confirm this with a clarity that is rarely openly debated: do civil servants have very high salaries or are the salaries of private sector employees those that have been left behind? It’s not just for stability, it’s also for the salary. According to data of the last Statistics of Average Contribution Bases of the General Regime of Social Security, the average contribution base of Public Administration workers stood at 2,853.5 euros per month in September 2025. The highest level recorded to date. This data, which serves as an average reference for the gross monthly salary, places public employment as the fifth best-paid activity among the 21 categories analyzed by this organization’s statistics. The most striking thing is not only the amount of the salary, but what it means in comparison with the rest of the sectors. While the average salary in the private sector has remained at the threshold of 2,200 euros per month since November 2024, Administration workers already exceeded 2,800 euros in that same period. This advantage has remained stable and has even grown during 2025.​ A gap of 579 euros per month. Putting it into figures, the average difference between what a public employee earns and one in the same activity in the private sector now exceeds 579 euros per month. This implies that the payroll received by Administration officials is 20.3% higher than that of the entire economy. If only the comparison with workers affiliated to the General Regime is taken into account, this gap rises to 25.46%: This wage gap between the public and private sectors is not new, but it is at a time of maximum expansion. He report from the Bank of Spain that analyzed data from 2021, already placed the advantage of the public sector at 24.97% compared to the private sector, a figure that tripled the average difference in the euro zone between the public and private sectors, placing by just 8%. According to collected ABC In countries like France this is reduced to 13% compared to the private sector. On the other hand, in Germany, the salaries of civil servants are practically the same, and some civil servants even earn less than their counterparts in the private sector. Do civil servants earn a lot or have salaries not risen enough? The Ministry of Public Function reached in December 2025 an agreement with CSIF, UGT and CCOO to increase the salaries of the more than 3.5 million public employees in Spain by 1.5%. This increase is part of a plan that foresees accumulated increases of 11% until 2028. Meanwhile, although the average salary has risen driven by the increase in the Minimum Interprofessional Wage, these increases only affect the most precarious salaries. The rest of the percentiles have registered more irregular and dependent increases on the collective bargaining by sectors. The result is that, in the last five years, public salaries have grown by 14%, compared to 18% in the private sector. However, the starting base for public employment was already so high that the absolute gap remains unbridgeable. That is, the lowest salaries in the Administration are much higher than those in the private sector. The Administration is also looking for talent. The attractiveness of public employment is not explained solely by salary. To the economic advantage It adds job stability that the private sector can rarely offer. This explains that, according to a study From the OpositaTest portal, in 2023, 68% of men and 72% of women would exchange a stable job in the private sector for a public position. Furthermore, the public sector maintains its commitment to teleworking flexibility whenever the position allows, while the private sector has moved towards presenceeven if the position allows it. According what was published by Expansionthe internal distribution of salaries also reveals that in the three highest income deciles, with average salaries of 2,807 euros per month, 3,385 euros and 5,213 euros gross per month, a majority of public employees are concentrated. On the other hand, only 22% of private sector workers reach these salary ranges. That is to say, public employment is not only better, it also offers a greater probability of accessing the highest salary levels, something that explains why oppositions in Spain They continue to be so disputed.​ In Xataka | Some experts have looked at the Spanish labor market and have reached a conclusion: in 2030, 40% will be over 50 years old Image | Unsplash (Beatriz Cattel)

They charged him for “leg room” and “priority seating”

Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair, went to dinner at a restaurant in Ireland and ended up receiving a karma master lesson. The restaurant owners had added a surcharge to their bill. things so common like sitting in a chair or having leg room under the table. Checkmate. A quiet dinner…until the bill arrived. As and how I collected the british The Independentthe CEO of Ryanair went out to dinner on a random Friday at a restaurant in Navan, a city in County Meath, Ireland. Dinner at the Luvida restaurant went smoothly while the millionaire executive I tasted some breaded prawns, mushroom toast and sea bass, everything washed down with a good wine. Once the tasting of the dishes was finished and he was satisfied with the course of the dinner, the manager asked for the bill without knowing what they had in store for him from the other side of the counter. The bill: 104.45 euros with many “extras”. When he received the bill, O’Leary found some concepts that caught his attention. The dishes and drinks they had consumed amounted to a subtotal of 104.45 euros. However, to this amount were added some additional charges which added 37.85 euros more to the amount of the account. The restaurant shared the bill for O’Leary’s drinks that night in your profile from Facebook. As can be read on the ticket, the breakdown of those 37.85 euros was made up of 7.95 euros for a supposed “extra leg room” at your table, or 9.95 euros for a “priority seat.” In addition, there was an additional charge of 19.95 euros for a “quiet area reservation.” To make things even more interesting, in the corner of the note you can read the indication “Terminal 1”, reinforcing the parallelism with an airport experience like the one that Ryanair provides to its users. The total bill: 142.30 euros that the manager had to pay after dinner. An Irish “trolling” with a British backlash. Obviously, these are not common concepts in a restaurant since it is assumed that sitting in a moderately comfortable chair while dining is part of the service. However, and displaying sharp British irony, the restaurant staff put O’Leary in the mirror for the way his company treats its customers. In fact, the airline has already been sanctioned on several occasions for its policy of charging an additional fee for hand luggageto which is added the collection of other charges and penalties such as the selection of seats and even make the boarding at the last minute. O’Leary took it with humor. According to what they say local mediathe manager took the joke from the restaurant service with great humor. Which has not transcended It is whether O’Leary finally paid the surcharges or they remained in the final bill as happens with the surcharges of the users of the airline he runs. What the millionaire did do is pose with a friendly attitude with the restaurant staff, who appreciated the visit and the executive’s good nature. “Thank you to Michael O’Leary for choosing to dine with us tonight. It was a pleasure having you. I hope you don’t mind if we add some additional charges to your bill for extra legroom, priority cabin seating and quiet area reservation,” the restaurant published on its profile on social networks. In Xataka | Now we know why Ryanair charges its passengers for everything: it is the key to having a profit of 2,540 million euros Image | Wikimedia Commons (Polish presidency of the Council of the EU 2025), Luvida

Five lives have been charged at work for not taking prevention measures

Spain is living Your first heat wave of the year And, with her the reminders about him High risk of heat blows and other occupational accidents such as high temperatures results. Spain is traditionally territory acclimatized at high temperaturesand therefore it tends to belittle the risk of exposing yourself to the sun or ignoring the episodes of high temperatures. At the moment, the four days of the heat wave that punishes Spain It has already been charged The life of five workers For heat blows, according to The latest data of ccoo. Work abroad and poorly conditioned places. According to CCOO information, four of the five victims killed in accidents at work, showed Symptoms of having suffered heat blows as a consequence of performing outdoors and hours of maximum exposure to heat. The fifth deceased was inside an industrial ship without sufficient ventilation or thermal protection, which makes these facilities Horn during the summer and in fridge during the winter. According to collected statements by him Eldiario.es “He said that his head hurt and that he was going to the service. When they went to look for him he was lying on the ground, they tried to revive him, but he had died.” Sources of CCOO said that “the ship has a plate roof, it is not divided and does not have air conditioning, so the heat is concentrated. José had told us that they were very hot in summer and cold in winter, and we had denounced it to the company.” Prevention is not a whim. After the modifications of the Occupational Risk Prevention Law applied in 2023 by the Royal Decree-Law 4/2023a series of prevention measures designed specifically to protect employees during the increasingly common episodes of high temperatures were established. Unlike other occupational hazards, heat episodes They are predictable Thanks to meteorological forecasts, so companies can (and must) apply action plans to adapt to them. In article 4.2 of the Workers Statuteit is established that the company must guarantee employees “their physical integrity and an adequate policy of occupational risk prevention”, while the Occupational Risk Prevention Law It demands that companies “take appropriate measures for the protection of workers who work outdoors or in places that cannot be closed.” In addition, the regulations contemplate the extreme to be able to temporarily cancel work activity “in those cases where the proper protection of the working person cannot be guaranteed.” It all starts when the Aemet gives the notice. 2023 regulations establish that the State Meteorology Agency (Aemet) will be responsible for establishing the alert level that forces companies to activate different protocols by high temperatures. When this organism activates the alerts of orange level or red level by episodes of high temperatures, companies of the affected territories For that alert they must activate their Occupational Risk Prevention Protocols due to thermal stress. Such and As I remembered The Minister of Labor and Social Economy, that activation indicates that companies are bound by law A: Facilitate time flexibility or redistribute the day To avoid maximum exposure hours. This is achieved well advancing the time of entry or delaying the usual departure time, as well as changing the activity to adequate interior areas or with lower exposure to high temperatures. When it is not viable to adapt the working day, the company can choose to reduce the day during the alert periods, being able to recover that adjustment time when the heat episode ends. The most drastic measure is the total interruption of the working day when none of the previous relief measures can be applied, but it is mandatory if the climatic conditions can put the health of employees at risk. Interior heat prevention. Not being exposed to the direct sun does not mean that heat strokes cannot occur, especially in places like kitchens o jobs in which you are exposed to heat sources. He Annex III of Royal Decree 486/1997of April 14, establishes the minimum provisions of safety and prevention of thermal stress for work that must be carried out indoors. In general terms, limits between 17 and 27 are established for sedentary work and between 14 to 25º for light jobs, as well as sufficient ventilation and air conditioning systems for Maintain that temperature throughout the working day. Responsibilities and obligations. In case of extreme heat episodes, the regulations establish that companies are responsible for the application of adequate prevention measures to protect employees from thermal stress. Failure to comply with that responsibility involves sanctions for the company ranging from 2,451 euros to 49,180 euros for infractions considered serious, and up to 983,736 euros for very serious infractions. On the other hand, employees have the obligation to ensure compliance and denounce their breach, in addition to adopting Other additional protection measureshow to maintain a Adequate hydration although it is not thirsty during the most heat episodes and respecting the rest times in fresh places. In Xataka | There is heat wave, you work less: what does the law say exactly on the workday under extreme temperatures Image | Unspash (Nik)

Tariffs are already being charged to their first great victim of the global economy: the price of oil

In this tariff war, China He has decided to get back to the United States with tariffs of 84% to all imports. A blunt response of the Asian giant, which has charged its first victim by crossfire: oil. Price drop. The price of barrels is below Los 60 dollars and going down. As He explained Energy expert Javier Blas, the oil market is going through a perfect storm: on the one hand, the fall in global demand as a direct consequence of the tariff war, and on the other hand, The answer a few days ago of the OPEC+ to continue producing more, which causes the offer to continue increasing. If this situation extends, it could evolve towards a real supply shock affecting two giants. The matter is more complex. OPEC+ decided to increase its oil production despite the fall in prices due to tariffs and concerns of a global economic slowdown. The organization I was looking to recover the market share I had lost due to the previous cuts. In addition, the growing production of non -member countries and Failurers of the rules to raise the offer. It will be very expensive. In all this situation, Saudi Arabia is one of the affected giants because in its recent projects it is diversifying its economy with the initiative, Vision 2030. It is betting on an economic model that is disconnected from oil, but It is still your currency To continue financing their mega -structures, such as Neom. As have indicated from Reutersthe fall in prices threatens to cut tens of billions of state dollars, as is already being seen in the stock market of the state oil company, Saudi Aramco. The impact is capital, since Riad can be forced to increase his indebtedness or postpone large infrastructure projects. In fact, according to the same news agency, the International Monetary Fund has estimated that Saudi Arabia needs prices greater than $ 90 per barrel to square its accounts. The other giant. The fall in prices takes with him another great economy ahead: Russia. As He has warned for Reutersthe governor of the Central Bank, Elvira Nabiullina, that the escalation of tariff wars represents a clear risk for Russia due to the fall in crude oil prices. In his words, the continuity of the commercial conflict reduces global trade, slows down the world economy and, consequently, decreases the demand for Russian energy resources. In fact, with the current situation of war, the dependence of Moscow of oil and gas is key, but the data is showing how in March 17% fell and it is expected that in April it will continue to descend. From Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov has acknowledged that the oil market is going through an “extremely turbulent” situation, derived from commercial tension caused by the United States. Meanwhile, the price of raw Urals, the Russian referent barrel, is dangerously approaching to the threshold of 50 dollars By barrel, the lowest level in almost two years. As Oilprice has had accessRussian authorities have indicated that a technical fiscal rule will help mitigate the effects on the budget, but oil prices are in free fall. Forecasts. The price of oil can continue down with all the situation that is being experienced: wars, sanctions and territorial instability. All this affects perception Investor risk and without a clear OPEC+ response the price falls without brakes. Image | Javier Colmenero Xataka | For great technological tariffs are an existential threat: their empires depend on the “world system”

Leader of arms trafficking network between the US and the Caribbean is charged and could face 20 years in prison

United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced the indictment against Shem Wayne Alexander, 35, of Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago; and faces charges of conspiracy to commit illegal export smuggling and conspiracy to traffic firearms. Alexander was arrested in Jamaica on November 15, 2024, with a request for provisional arrest from the United States with a view to his extradition, which was fulfilled on December 20. According to authorities, Alexander was the leader of a group that illegally exported firearms, firearm components and related items from Florida to Trinidad and Tobago between 2019 and 2022. The firearms, including pistols and rifles, and related equipment were concealed within boxing and wrestling equipment, speakers and other household items to avoid detection by law enforcement and customs authorities. The criminal group led by Alexander also participated in phantom firearms purchases in Tampa by misrepresenting the identities of buyers and recipients. Even on April 7, 2021, Alexander ordered his associates to send a package containing several firearms from Miami to Trinidad and Tobago. This shipment included pistols such as the 9mm Taurus G2C and Ruger Security-9 models. Authorities intercepted these items at Piarco International Airport on April 22, 2021. The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with support from several agencies, including the Police Service’s Transnational Organized Crime Unit of Trinidad and Tobago. If convicted, he could be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years in federal prison. Keep reading:. Wisconsin woman found guilty of poisoning friend with eye drops. Wisconsin woman poisoned her husband’s coffee with animal euthanasia drugs. Woman arrested in North Dakota who poisoned her boyfriend to death

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