Alex Trelinski
SPAIN’S government and the country’s two biggest unions have struck a deal on a shorter working week with the same pay.
The agreement still has to be ratified by Congress, which could be tricky with the minority Sanchez government having to win the support of the Catalan business-friendly Junts party.
Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz and the leaders of the UGT and CCOO on Friday stressed the ‘historic’ nature of the accord.
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It means the maximum number of work hours per week will go down to 37.5 from the current 40, with wages unchanged, before the end of 2025.
Yolanda Diaz said: “Today, we’re settling a debt with the working people of Spain and with the new generations who understand that personal time is not a luxury, but a fundamental right.”
The planned change would affect some 12 million workers, especially those with precarious jobs, as well as reduce carbon emissions, she said.
The new weekly limit will be calculated on an annual average, with any additional hours worked considered overtime.
The enforcement of working time recording obligations will be toughened and fines raised to €10,000 per employee for non-compliant companies.
Diaz said previously that reducing the working week by two and a half hours would improve the work-life balance of 12 million employees across the country and increase productivity.
The plan has been opposed by the main employers’ association CEOE, which argues it should not be imposed by law but through collective bargaining with each company to adapt to specific productivity needs.
