This article was automatically translated from HIBAPRESS, the Arabic version:
Hibapress
The Spanish government signed an agreement with the main unions on Friday to reduce the legal duration of weekly working hours from 40 to 37.5 hours.
This reduction, the first since 1983, will affect nearly 12 million employees in the private sector, while those in the public sector already benefit from 37.5 hours per week.
Concluded after several months of negotiations, the agreement did not, however, receive the approval of the employers, who had decided in mid-November to leave the negotiating table after eleven months of unsuccessful meetings, believing that their requests had not been taken into account. taken into account by the executive.
Employers’ organizations are concerned about the impact of the reform on Spanish competitiveness. They believe that not all sectors of activity are in the same boat and that a general reduction in working hours could weaken certain companies.
However, the agreement must be approved by MPs to enter into force.
