He Ministry of Labor and Social Economy led by Yolanda Diaz has not heard the CEOE’s reasons and will therefore continue its efforts with its flagship project: the reduction of the working day. The government has therefore already started the procedures to implement the law according to which, from January 1, 2025, workers will have a working day of 37.5 hours per week while maintaining their salary. This will have to go through Congress, where the votes of the PNV and the Junts will be essential.
The reduction of the working day has been at the center of the news since January 25, when a social dialogue table opened between the government, unions and Spanish businessmen during which, ultimately Ultimately, it was not the dialogue that took over, but rather the impetus to Yolanda Diazwho was abandoned by Pedro Sánchez within the Government, took justice into his own hands so that, in the absence of an agreement, this reduction would be achieved by law.
“When citizens say they have to reduce the working day, it is because they feel that way and politicians are asked to live up to this,” declared the vice-president of Parliament. Government a few days ago, on the first day of the 44th confederal congress of the UGT. The Sumar leader continued to move in the same direction as in recent months: the reduction in working hours will be “yes or yes”, regardless of what businessmen think, with whom after a year of negotiations no agreement was not found. .
He talked about it a few days ago Joaquin Pérez ReySecretary of State for Labor, in an official statement made at the end of the last meeting between the Social dialogue table. “Employers are left alone. It will be difficult for him to explain why he did not participate in a logical consequence of the evolution of the times,” he announced, following his boss’s line and also confirming that the law will soon be submitted to the congress of the parties in dispute to “implement engagement with citizens.
Reduction of working hours
So he Ministry of Labor and Social Economy led by Yolanda Diaz In the coming days there will be a law reducing the working day in which it is no longer envisaged to reduce it to 38.5 hours, as was thought at the time. The discount will be valid until 37.5 hours and as long as workers maintain their salary in addition to a series of conditions with their corresponding companies. Logically, this situation came up against a position opposed to Spanish businessmen.
In this way, the Government He will present this law to the Congress of the contested parties so that it can be put to a vote during which the PNV and Junts will have to provide their support so that it can move forward. These two parties had committed to voting in favor of the “yes” of the businessmen and it will therefore be necessary to see what decision they take in the coming days. It is not surprising, given the way this is handled, that Pedro Sanchezpropose again an exchange of wills in exchange for the star law of Yolanda Diaz move forward.
Employers reject reduction of working day
CEOE and CEPYME published a joint statement on Tuesday, November 5, in which they announced that they had unanimously rejected the proposal from the Ministry of Labor aimed at reducing working hours. “The conclusion is that CEOE and CEPYMEOut of responsibility, they cannot support this proposal. Modifying by law matters which are the subject of collective agreements, such as the reduction of working hours, and which, in fact, are already agreed bilaterally in the agreements, represents an interference in the autonomy of collective bargaining, enshrined in article 37.1. of the Constitution”, they reported in a press release published on the website of the CEOE.
“Thus, the approval of this regulation only weakens the collective bargaining framework which has been fundamental to maintaining social peace over the last 40 years and leads, in practice, many companies, notably SMEs and the self-employed , to a forced reorganization which “Productivity will hardly be increased by the reduction of working time in a productive fabric composed of approximately 98% by SMEs and the self-employed.
