Spain's Labour and Economy Ministers Move to Resolve Stalled Workweek Reduction Legislation
Yolanda Díaz and Carlos Cuerpo commit to negotiations for urgent implementation of 37.5-hour workweek by 2025.
On Monday, in a meeting characterized as 'cordial and constructive', Spain's Second Vice President and Minister of Labour, Yolanda Díaz, and the Minister of Economy, Carlos Cuerpo, agreed to continue negotiations aimed at advancing the legislative process to reduce the workweek to 37.5 hours.
This comes after confirmation from both the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Economy that they intend to expedite the legal framework for this reduction, with a target application year of 2025.
While both ministries have echoed similar sentiments regarding the urgency and importance of this legislation, the Ministry of Labour, led by Díaz, emphasized the need for immediate action to ensure the law's application by 2025. The recent tensions surrounding the delay in passing this legislation prompted Díaz to urgently seek clarification from Cuerpo.
Initially, the Economy Ministry had suggested the focus of the day should be housing.
However, they later conceded to the meeting with Díaz.
The Ministry of Economy has reiterated that reducing the workweek is a priority of the government.
Efforts are being made to implement the changes swiftly and effectively.
Díaz had called for the meeting to fulfill the government agreement between Sumar and PSOE, which mandates that the reduced workweek be enforced by 2025. She stressed the necessity for the law to pass urgently to respect the signed agreements with trade unions, supporting the legislative commitments made by Spain as part of the International Labour Organization.
Minister Cuerpo's office responded affirmatively to a meeting, maintaining that he remains in constant contact with the Council of Ministers, particularly with those within the Economic Affairs committee, and is always open to necessary dialogues.
They insisted on the need for agenda adjustments to facilitate the meeting.
During her visit to Córdoba, Díaz expressed confidence in achieving an agreement that aligns with the social dialogue frameworks.
Speaking at a vocational training diploma event at Córdoba Penitentiary with Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, Díaz reiterated Spain’s obligation to honor social agreements as recommended by the ILO.
She affirmed the government’s 2025 target for rolling out the reduced workweek across all Spanish enterprises, stressing the urgent need for the legislative process to proceed without delay.
Díaz cited the timeline required for enacting a draft law and urged respect for the government agreement, which both she and the Prime Minister endorsed.
She pointed out that such a reduction would enhance productivity and equitable productivity distribution between workers and employers, in line with Spain’s productivity growth rate of 2.5%.
Moreover, Díaz highlighted the measure’s potential societal benefits—such as significant impacts on women's employment and improvements in both mental health and climate change response.
She projected these changes could lead to heightened economic efficiency, deeming the measure one that Spain eagerly anticipates.
This comes after confirmation from both the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Economy that they intend to expedite the legal framework for this reduction, with a target application year of 2025.
While both ministries have echoed similar sentiments regarding the urgency and importance of this legislation, the Ministry of Labour, led by Díaz, emphasized the need for immediate action to ensure the law's application by 2025. The recent tensions surrounding the delay in passing this legislation prompted Díaz to urgently seek clarification from Cuerpo.
Initially, the Economy Ministry had suggested the focus of the day should be housing.
However, they later conceded to the meeting with Díaz.
The Ministry of Economy has reiterated that reducing the workweek is a priority of the government.
Efforts are being made to implement the changes swiftly and effectively.
Díaz had called for the meeting to fulfill the government agreement between Sumar and PSOE, which mandates that the reduced workweek be enforced by 2025. She stressed the necessity for the law to pass urgently to respect the signed agreements with trade unions, supporting the legislative commitments made by Spain as part of the International Labour Organization.
Minister Cuerpo's office responded affirmatively to a meeting, maintaining that he remains in constant contact with the Council of Ministers, particularly with those within the Economic Affairs committee, and is always open to necessary dialogues.
They insisted on the need for agenda adjustments to facilitate the meeting.
During her visit to Córdoba, Díaz expressed confidence in achieving an agreement that aligns with the social dialogue frameworks.
Speaking at a vocational training diploma event at Córdoba Penitentiary with Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, Díaz reiterated Spain’s obligation to honor social agreements as recommended by the ILO.
She affirmed the government’s 2025 target for rolling out the reduced workweek across all Spanish enterprises, stressing the urgent need for the legislative process to proceed without delay.
Díaz cited the timeline required for enacting a draft law and urged respect for the government agreement, which both she and the Prime Minister endorsed.
She pointed out that such a reduction would enhance productivity and equitable productivity distribution between workers and employers, in line with Spain’s productivity growth rate of 2.5%.
Moreover, Díaz highlighted the measure’s potential societal benefits—such as significant impacts on women's employment and improvements in both mental health and climate change response.
She projected these changes could lead to heightened economic efficiency, deeming the measure one that Spain eagerly anticipates.
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Translated by AI
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