Dylan Wagemans
THE Spanish government is considering reducing the official working week from 40 hours to 37.5 hours, this was proposed in a bill by Minister of Labour Yolanda Diaz.
If passed, this law would benefit 12.5 million private sector workers and is expected to improve productivity and reduce absenteeism.
“Today, we are modernising the world of labour and helping people to be a little happier,” said Diaz.
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The measure, which already applies to civil servants and some other sectors, would mainly affect retail, manufacturing, hospitality, and construction, Diaz added.
The bill still requires parliamentary approval, and while trade unions support it, business associations are against it.
It’s also unclear if the bill would be passed, since the government of Pedro Sanchez lacks a majority in parliament.
Some concerns have been raised, particularly by the Catalan nationalist party Junts, about the impact on small businesses and self-employed workers.
Spain has had a 40-hour workweek since 1983, when it was reduced from 48 hours.
Spain has also been exploring ways to change work habits, including pilot programs for a four-day workweek.
The results of the month-long programme suggested that workers had benefited from longer weekends, developing healthier habits such as taking up sports, as well as reducing their stress levels.
