2026 Salary Tables for Poultry Farms: What Companies Must Pay

Key data

Poultry farms and other animal farms have a salary obligation in force since January 1, 2026 that cannot be ignored: applying the provisional salary tables approved for this year under the Convenio colectivo de granjas avícolas y otros animales. The Resolución de 23 de marzo de 2026 of the Dirección General de Trabajo formally registers and publishes these tables, although their economic effect starts from the first day of the year.

The gap between the entry into force (January 1) and the publication in the BOE (April 6) is a critical element: it means that companies in the sector may have already accumulated several months of payrolls that do not reflect the new minimum salary levels. That difference must be regularized.

What does this regulation establish?

The resolution registers and publishes the minutes of the agreement reached between sector representatives to set the minimum remuneration applicable during 2026 to workers covered by the Convenio colectivo de granjas avícolas y otros animales.

The tables are provisional in nature. This occurs when collective agreement negotiations do not conclude before the start of the calendar year. Instead of leaving workers without an updated salary reference, the parties agree on provisional tables that are mandatory until the definitive ones are approved.

The key elements established by this regulation are:

• Setting of minimum salaries by professional category applicable in 2026 for the poultry and other animal farming sector.
• Obligation for companies to review all payrolls and adjust the remuneration of employees earning below the new amounts.
• Retroactive effect from January 1, 2026, meaning that salary differences accumulated since that date must be paid.
• Provisional validity until the negotiation and approval of the definitive tables of the collective agreement.

Economic and operational impact

The most immediate impact is the possible existence of accumulated salary arrears. If the tables apply from January 1, 2026 and publication occurred on April 6, companies that have not anticipated the new minimums may have up to three months of outstanding differences to pay their workers.

From an operational standpoint, companies must address two actions with a direct cost:

• Retroactive regularization: calculation and payment of salary differences between amounts paid since January and the new minimums established in the provisional tables.
• Updating ongoing payrolls: adjustment of salaries for all affected workers for the remaining months of the year.

The specific economic impact will depend on the number of workers in each company and the gap between current salaries and the new collective agreement minimums. Companies with a larger number of employees in base categories will be most exposed to a significant regularization cost.

Who is affected?

• Companies operating poultry farms (chickens, laying hens, turkeys, ducks and other birds) included within the scope of the collective agreement.
• Companies operating other animal farms that fall within the scope of application of the same collective agreement.
• Workers in the sector with employment contracts subject to the Convenio colectivo de granjas avícolas y otros animales in Spain.
• HR and payroll departments of affected companies, responsible for reviewing and adjusting remuneration.
• Labor advisors and management consultancies that handle payroll for companies in the poultry farming sector.

Practical example

A poultry farm with 10 workers across different professional categories that has not updated its payrolls since January 2026 faces the following situation:

If the new provisional salary tables establish an increase compared to those of the previous year for each category, the company must calculate the monthly difference per worker and multiply it by the number of months elapsed since January 1 until the date on which the situation is regularized.

For example, if a worker in a base category is entitled to a higher monthly salary than they have been receiving, the company must pay them the accumulated difference for all months since January, and also adjust their monthly payroll from that point forward. This process must be repeated for each employee whose salary falls below the new collective agreement minimums.

The HR department or labor management consultancy must review category by category and worker by worker to identify who is entitled to regularization and for what amount.

What should companies do now?

1. Download the provisional 2026 salary tables published in the BOE through the Resolución de 23 de marzo de 2026 and identify the minimum salaries by professional category applicable to your workforce.
2. Review all payrolls since January 2026 and compare the salaries paid with the new minimums established in the provisional tables. Identify which workers are earning below the new minimum for their category.
3. Calculate accumulated arrears from January 1, 2026 for each affected worker and prepare payment of outstanding differences in the next payroll or as an extraordinary payment.
4. Update ongoing payrolls to reflect the new provisional minimum salaries from the month in which regularization takes place.
5. Document the process of salary review and adjustment to demonstrate compliance with the collective agreement in the event of a labor inspection.
6. Monitor the approval of the definitive tables, which will replace the provisional ones and may require further salary adjustments.

Official source

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, please consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-7798