The Ministry of Labor wants to continue moving towards reduction of working hours in Spain despite the CEOE’s refusal to join an agreement. The second vice president of Government Yolanda Diaz has convened “immediately” the social dialogue table, which had been suspended since last November 11 to focus on the management of DANA.
“We will immediately convene that table and I’m already telling you that now, the debate of the working day is picking up cruising speed and, without a doubt, The working day is going to be reduced in our country“, stressed the second vice president.
In statements to the press before starting this Thursday’s first session of the International Labor Congress, Díaz stated that reducing the working day by half an hour a day, up to 37.5 hours a week, will allow workers “live a little better” and improve productivity.
The minister recalled that this reform is accompanied by the reinforcement of the right to digital disconnection and time control so that the Labor Inspection can know in real time the hours that are actually being worked.
“It is the measure that Spaniards expect the most and it is true that we have an average of 38.2 hours in our country, but we do not want there to be second-class workers in Spain. We already have three million public workers who have a working day. 37 and a half hours, but we also want women who work in commerce to have the right to reduce their working hours, that people who work in agriculture, in hospitality or those who work in the media have the right to a reduced working day.” Díaz has defended.
The minister has assured that the Government of Spain is not only working centrally to reduce the working day in Spain, but also within the European Union. “One of the main debates is the rule about disconnection in Europe. Spain is going to have a strong position here,” said the vice president.