Spain reduces working week

The Spanish government approved the reduction in working week from 40 to 37.5 hours without reducing salaries. This decision was made at a Ministers ‘Cabinet meeting on February 4, despite employers’ resistance. Reuters reported this Tuesday on February 4.

The reform is one of the main initiatives of prime minister Pedro Sanchez and was developed by Jolanda Diaz’s work minister. He said the changes aim to improve the productivity and improving the quality of life of the people.

However, the final decision is required for the approval of parliament, where the coalition government is not predominantly. Some parties, including the Junts of Catalan, expressed a resistance.

In this regard, the National Confederation of CEE Employers opposes the mandatory reduction of working time, noting that it will increase business costs and reduce competitiveness. Employers insist that changes should occur through collective agreements, and not by law.

Economics Minister Carlos Cuerpo also recommends to delay reform each year to give the small business more time to adapt. At the same time, in the central bank of Spain, they warn that a reduction in working week can lead to increasing labor costs, increasing inflation and slowing down the creation of new jobs.

Remember that in Europe a four -day working week becomes more popular, the United States also looks at such skills. It became unhappy with performance, and even vice versa.