The second vice-president of the Government and Minister of Labor, Yolanda Díaz, will sign this Friday with the union leaders of CCOO and UGT, Unai Sordo and Pepe Álvarez, the agreement for the reduction of the working week to 37.5 hours, a key step in the coalition Government’s commitment to labor rights.
The event, which will take place at the Ministry of Labor at 11:00 a.m., ends 11 months of intense negotiations that have gone through several stages, including talks with the employers and a recent period of direct dialogue between the government and the unions.
Tensions between Labor and Economics
Although the agreement is a significant achievement for Diaz and the unions, differences persist within the Executive itself regarding the implementation deadlines. While the Minister of Labor insists that the reduced working day must be in force for all workers before December 31, 2025, in line with the agreement between PSOE and Sumar, the Secretary of State for Economy, Carlos Cuerpo, bets on a more gradual approach that could extend the calendar beyond that year. Diaz stressed this Thursday the importance of fulfilling the commitments agreed with workers. “We cannot deceive workers. What is agreed must be fulfilled,” he said, insisting that the government must respect the investiture agreement signed between the coalition forces.
A milestone for labor rights
The reduction of the working day has been one of the historical demands of CCOO and UGT, who value this agreement as a step forward in the reconciliation of work and the improvement of workers’ conditions in Spain. The signing of the agreement reinforces the Government’s commitment to the fulfillment of the agreements established in its investiture program and represents a significant step towards the consolidation of labor rights within the framework of a legislature that Yolanda Díaz defines as “transforming”.
