Empire Rise: Spain

Chapter 127: 《minimum Income Law For Workers》

The government’s strategy of repurchasing noble land at high prices was still very effective. After the legislation for high-price repurchase of noble land was promulgated, many nobles on the verge of bankruptcy chose to sell part of their land to the government in exchange for emergency funds.

In just over a week, the amount of land acquired by the government from nobles had already exceeded 2500 acres, which is about 10 square kilometers of land.

These lands were actually not that much, just the scale pieced together by a few small nobles whose assets were not abundant.

Why are nobles considered the pests of Spain? Because at the peak of noble power, nobles, who made up only 2% of the population, occupied 95% of Spain’s total arable land.

Of course, a large number of priests, merchants, and professionals were also included, but such data was still extremely exaggerated.

At that time, 95% of Spain’s population were farmers, and the land owned by these farmers accounted for only 5% of Spain’s total land.

Not only did nobles possess vast amounts of land, but their lands were all fertile plains and valleys, leaving the barren land for farmers.

Although after long development and revolution, the land in the hands of nobles had been greatly reduced, they still occupied 40% of the arable land area.

The land in the hands of nobles and the church combined was more than that in the hands of farmers, which not only affected the development of Spanish agriculture but also forced a large number of farmers to become tenants of these nobles and the church.

Nobles and the church not only collected rent from these tenants but also made them pay large amounts of agricultural taxes, including the tithe and land tax. This was also the real reason for the outbreak of revolution in Spain. The prerequisite for nobles and the church to enjoy luxurious lives was the constant exploitation of farmers. When Spaniards could not afford food, they naturally had to find ways to survive.

After the current revolution, the proportion of land in the hands of nobles had been reduced to below 35% of the total arable land, which was considered good news.

The government obtained a large amount of land from the hands of nobles and the church, and these lands were rented out to farmers for cultivation at lower rents.

Farmers no longer lacked land to cultivate, nor were they subjected to overly harsh tax exploitation. Naturally, they would not have other ideas if they could get by in life.

In fact, compared to being landlords, engaging in industry and finance clearly had more potential in this era. Compared to the more traditional large landowner nobles, Carlo clearly valued new aristocrats more.

New aristocrats did not have too much land; they invested their property into industry and finance, stimulating the economic development of Spain.

The capital formed by nobles uniting together also had considerable influence. Compared to holding land and offending a large number of farmers, it was better to become capitalists controlled by the government and royal family, enjoying a life of counting money until one’s hands cramped.

As time entered mid-May, under the supervision of the Currency Issuance Committee, the Royal United Bank and the Spanish National Bank manufactured and issued the latest peseta currency system of the Kingdom of Spain.

The exchange rate between the peseta and the pound sterling was 02:1, with 1 peseta worth approximately 282 grams of gold.

The pesetas issued by the two banks came in two types: one was paper currency stamped with the seals of the bank and the currency committee, and the other was silver coins with a total weight of 23 grams of silver.

Based on the current value of gold and silver, the value of 23 grams of silver was exactly equivalent to 282 grams of gold. The silver coins made from 23 grams of silver were the coin version of the peseta and also the most commonly used version.

The silver coin made from 23 grams of silver was 1 peseta, equivalent in value to 1 peso from the Spanish colony period.

Above the 1 peseta coin, there were 5 peseta coins made from 15 grams of silver and 10 peseta coins made from 82 grams of gold.

Of course, these weights were only for the pure gold and pure silver used, with some other metals mixed in to make these gold and silver coins made of precious metals more durable.

Below the higher denomination of 1 peseta, there were subunit coins made of copper coins. 1 peseta was divided into 100 cents, with 1 copper coin being 1 cent. Depending on the weight, they were divided into 1 cent, 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents, and 50 cents, serving as the most commonly used currency in the daily lives of the public.

This was also a characteristic of currencies in various countries during the gold standard era. Generally, there were two types of currency: one was currency made of gold, silver, and copper with actual value, where the specific gold and silver content in the currency determined the exchange rate.

The other type was paper currency equivalent in value to gold and silver coins. Generally, paper currency issued by governments of various countries circulated domestically, while international trade mostly used gold and silver coins, because gold and silver coins had higher value and were more recognized in international transactions.

Currently, Spain’s gold and silver coins were engraved with Carlo’s bust, large portrait, and the house crest of the House of Savoy.

The copper coins were engraved with Prime Minister Primó, Grand Duke Serrano, and other relatively famous figures in Spanish history.

After issuing the new peseta currency, the Spanish Government also promulgated new legislation, 《Laborer’s Minimum Income Law》.

According to this law, anyone holding Spanish nationality was considered a Spanish citizen.

When Spanish citizens engaged in various types of work within Spain, exchanging labor for income, business owners and factory owners should abide by the 《Laborer Protection Law》 and 《Laborer’s Minimum Income Law》, issuing Spanish citizens at least the guaranteed minimum income.

The minimum weekly salary for adult male Spanish citizens when taking up work was 1 peseta 75 cents, and for adult female Spanish citizens, it was 1 peseta 15 cents.

The minimum weekly salary for male Spanish citizens over 50 years old when taking up work was 1 peseta 10 cents, and for females over 50, it was 85 cents.

The minimum weekly salary for child labor when taking up work was uniformly 75 cents, and child labor should enjoy at least one day off per month, with daily working hours not exceeding 12 hours.

Because economic development varied across regions in Spain, the minimum incomes in various places had some fluctuations.

To prevent high-income regions from exploiting loopholes in the minimum income law, the government additionally stipulated that localities should fluctuate according to the actual per capita annual income in each place, but only increases were allowed, not decreases.

In relatively developed regions like Madrid and Barcelona, the actual minimum income still had to be increased.

Especially in Barcelona, after the industrial zone was completed in the future, workers’ minimum income would definitely not be as simple as stipulated by law.

If capitalists wanted to exploit loopholes in the law and desperately exploit the Spanish people, Carlo wouldn’t mind letting them experience what it feels like to be hanged on streetlights.

All factories and enterprises of the royal family naturally faithfully implemented the newly promulgated laws of the government. The good news was that the income of royal enterprise employees was basically above the minimum income stipulated by the government, which also meant that the legislation promulgated by the government had little impact on royal enterprises.

For those capitalists who originally desperately exploited the public and even child labor, if they wanted to continue exploiting the public, they had to consider the government’s attitude.

Needless to say, the public welcomed the legislation promulgated by the government quite a bit. The actual beneficiaries of this law were all the Spanish people, ensuring they could obtain a minimum income when working without worrying about excessive exploitation by capitalists.

The most noteworthy was the minimum wage for child labor stipulated in the law.

The issue of child labor was a topic that this era and even posterity could not avoid.

Simply put, every country had destitute groups. Sending children out to work was not because they did not love their children, but because the family really could not survive and had to let these underage children go out to earn income.

Although the minimum weekly salary for child labor was only 75 cents, this level was already mid-to-upper among the incomes of all child workers in Spain currently.

Ensuring the minimum weekly salary for child labor not only effectively improved the income of child workers themselves but also improved the living standards of families forced to send their children out to work.

However, once adult citizens’ incomes improved, these children were best off receiving education. After all, only by receiving education could they enter higher strata; knowledge changes destiny is not just empty words.

Of course, this so-called knowledge was not just book knowledge, but any knowledge that could be practically utilized, including various technologies and ways of thinking.

This minimum income level was carefully calculated by the government. It was very difficult to eat one’s fill and clothe oneself warmly relying on this level of minimum income, but it could ensure that most Spaniards enjoying the minimum level could afford food.

As for living a better life, pursuing enough to eat and wear or even eating well and dressing well, it required a large number of Spaniards to effort in working hours and jobs, such as sending their children to school to learn, allowing them to enter more advanced positions, and so on.

The wages of ordinary workers and skilled workers were different, and the wages of skilled workers and skilled workers were different.

Even for the future quality of life of their own families, the Spanish people would ultimately choose to climb higher themselves or let their children do so, enjoying better jobs and salary treatments.

If in 1871 the Spanish Government was mostly striving in industrial development and economic development, then in 1872, the increasingly stable Spain officially began exploring reforms in legislation.

So far, the 《Land Lease Act》 and 《Laborer’s Minimum Income Law》 have achieved quite good results.

The former took care of Spain’s vast farmer masses, while the latter took care of Spain’s emerging workers and laborer groups.

Although this offended a large number of conservatives, including nobles, the good news was that the nobles showed no major reaction.

As for the power of the capitalist class, it was still very weak in Spain currently. As long as stronger nobles, the church, and radical republicans showed no reaction, Spain’s capital force could not affect the stability of the government and the country.

First update of 3000 words, seeking support!