The meeting served to review the measures included in the preliminary agreement reached at the Aragonese Mediation and Arbitration Service (SAMA). According to the Government of Aragón, the agreed 10% salary increase is being processed, in addition to the 5% increase for public-sector personnel for the 2026–2027 period.
In addition, the regional government said it is working on hiring double crews and permanent lookout posts for 100% of the working day. However, the strike committee maintains that the government is questioning the planned hiring of 215 people and intends to allocate that reinforcement to workers who were not included in the strike call.
€500 PAYMENT STILL PENDING
The meeting also addressed the €500 payment planned in recognition of the exceptional nature of this summer’s wildfire season. The Government of Aragón said it plans to apply it once the strike is officially called off, for workers at the Jaca Institute of Agri-Environmental Training, the Protected Landscape of San Juan de la Peña and Monte Oroel, the Western Valleys Natural Park, and staff at the dispatch centers who actively took part in firefighting efforts.
The SARGA wildland firefighters’ strike committee denounces the regional government’s failure to comply with the preliminary agreement reached at SAMA and says it has proposed renegotiating it. According to employee representatives, this position distorts the meaning of the agreement, leaves unclear who will benefit from the salary increase and fails to guarantee a real improvement to the wildland firefighting operation.
Finally, both sides agreed to hold a new meeting when the government can provide more information about the organization of the 2027 wildland fire prevention and response operation. The regional government said it is already working on planning next year’s operation, although its details will be linked to the preparation of the autonomous community’s budget for that year.
