The 2026 cycle of collective bargaining is unfolding in a high tension environment, marked by an unusual combination of economic, legal, and political factors that reconfigure the relationship between companies and workers, warned Oscar de la Vega, partner at D&M Abogados.
According to the specialist in labor law, the convergence of a moderate inflation in official statistics and a persistent increase in the cost of basic goods has widened the gap between workers’ salary expectations and companies’ financial planning. “Companies make their budgets based on general inflation, but workers negotiate based on the inflation that they live with every day at the supermarket”, he explained.
