New salary

I just talked to my boss about my salary for 2007. In my company, the salary negotiations are basically done between the different unions, the bosses and the "company board". As an employee I don't really have that much to say. This year's negotiations were supposed to be done in March but the whole process was late...

Last year I was disappointed when my boss told me what the negotiations had resulted in for me. I felt like I wasn't valued as highly as some of my colleagues.

Today's salary talk made me happy though. My boss has really been fighting for me and I get extra money this time around. I get a raise in two parts; one that is based on percentage and will be counted back 'til April, and one part that will start in January 2008. These two parts together result in me getting a salary that is 8.33% higher than it is today (a "normal" raise would be something like 3%). My boss was relieved to see me smile when I left his office as opposed to last year when I was all teary...

Finding this out (and knowing that I'll have another round of negotiations in March regarding salaries for 2008) the same day as boyfriend finds out that he got a 6.8% raise for 2008 makes me feel good. We're told by people around us that we'll have spending money even with us buying a house but we're a bit freaked by the interest costs. Our cost of living will double compared to what it is now... Getting these raises means a lot to us. Maybe not as much financially as mentally. Does that make sense to anyone?...