Spanish government and unions reach deal on 37.5-hour workweek

The controversial plan to reduce the working week to 37.5 hours without a salary cut in 2025 moved a step closer to implementation on Friday morning.

The Spanish government, along with the major unions CCOO and UGT, has announced an agreement to implement the reduced workweek.

The agreement will be signed today by labor minister Yolanda Díaz and union general secretaries Unai Sordo and Pepe Álvarez.

However, the signing will take place without the presence of the employers' organization, which opposed the measure.

After eleven months of negotiations, and with the government hoping to reach an agreement with both workers and employers, the employers' group severed ties last month.

The employers' position has always been that they did not agree to a change in the maximum workweek, preferring to leave this issue to collective bargaining.

Although the government has proposed compensation measures to offset potential losses from the reduced workday, these are likely to be excluded from the law as they are not part of the final agreement.

But the disagreements are not just between the government and employers; there are also internal divisions among ministers.

Economy minister Carlos Cuerpo recently raised concerns about the proposed timetable, which would see the reduction in working hours implemented in 2025.

Cuerpo suggested a "phased" approach, tailored to specific sectors, with full implementation possibly extending into 2026.

Labor minister Yolanda Díaz, leader of the left-wing Sumar party, which is in coalition with the governing Socialists, criticized Cuerpo for wanting to delay implementation, which would " break" their coalition agreement.

"It is a great labor achievement, a step forward for our country's progress that will be studied in all the universities of the world," said Diaz, defending the measure that she said will benefit 12 million workers, especially those "most vulnerable."