Congress Rejects Plan to Cut Work Week from 40 to 37.5 Hours

Junts, PP and Vox Knock Down the Working‑Time Reduction Pushed by Yolanda Díaz

The flagship measure of the Ministry of Labour, led by Vice‑President and Labour Minister Yolanda Díaz, – cutting the standard work week from 40 to 37.5 hours – will not pass after Junts, the People’s Party (PP) and Vox voted “no”. The two main trade unions in Spain, UGT and CCOO, had been championing the reform.

The Catalan pro‑independence party announced its rejection of the bill to the Ministry on Monday. Although the proposal is expected to fail, the ministry says it will try to revive it. Even if the Congress blocks the measure, the Ministry plans to approve, by decree, the part of the project concerning hour‑recording, according to Cadena SER.

Díaz accused the right‑wing parties of criticizing the law with “arguments that are not real”.

“They have been fighting for more than three decades so that Spain can now talk about reducing the working week, working less and raising wages,” she said from the Congress floor.

She also responded to Junts’ “no” vote:

“Mrs. Nogueras, if there is a regulation that raises wages in our country, it is exactly this one. They defend the interests of the most reactionary employers,” Díaz explained, urging Junts deputies to “rectify” their stance.

Junts Reiterates Its Opposition to the Working‑Time Cut

Junts deputy Josep María Cervera made clear on Wednesday that his parliamentary group opposes the bill, warning that the reduction would cause “difficulties for SMEs, for Catalonia and for many of its workers.” The same concerns were voiced by the PP and Vox.

During the full‑debate on the proposal to lower the work week to 37.5 hours, Cervera criticized the Vice‑President and Labour Minister, accusing her of making the reform “her political survival” and of using demagoguery with the slogan “working less to live better.”