Díaz vows to win battle for reduced work hours

Updated May 25, 2025
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Second Vice ⁤President and Labor Minister Yolanda Díaz affirmed Sunday that the⁣ Spanish government will ultimately succeed in reducing the working⁤ day to 37.5 hours. Speaking in Seville, Díaz insisted, “We will take what it will take, but we will win,” emphasizing the importance ⁤of this labor reform.

Díaz’s statement came at an event promoting the government’s bill, which seeks to reduce the workday without decreasing salaries. The ‍bill, already approved by the Council of Ministers on ‍May 6, is now before Congress, where securing sufficient support remains a ⁤challenge. The reduction ⁤of the working⁤ day is a key government priority.

For Díaz, the‍ move to reduce work hours represents more than ⁣just an economic adjustment. She framed it as “an ⁣engine⁤ of hope” for spain and the world. She questioned the opposition’s resistance, noting that the average work week in Spain is already around 38.2 hours.

Díaz also ⁤pointed out that many collective agreements, including those in Andalusia, already⁣ stipulate work weeks below⁤ 40 hours, some at 37.5 hours. She questioned why public ⁤sector employees already benefit from this reduction, asking, “Why do⁤ they oppose both if public employees and employees already have this reduction?”

The reduction of the‍ working day “is not ⁢a more economic variable”, but “an engine of hope ⁤in the whole of the country and the world.”

Addressing critics, Díaz recalled past arguments for salary devaluation and mass dismissals as solutions‍ to economic crises. She countered claims ⁣that precarious work was certain, stating that spain’s temporary employment rate is⁤ now below the European average. The next step, she asserted, is achieving ⁤the reduced working day, a cause that has fueled social movements as the 19th century.

Díaz stressed that the government has kept its promise to push for the reduction of ⁣the working day, and now it is up to ⁤the political parties in Congress to advance the legislation. She urged Andalusian labor unions and workers to mobilize and demand that regional President Moreno Bonilla reveal his voting intentions.

She also highlighted the feminist dimension of the measure, noting that it will benefit over‍ 300,000 part-time ⁢workers, most of whom are women. This policy, she argued, addresses the gender impact of part-time work by ensuring these workers also see their salaries increase. She also predicted that many part-time contracts will⁢ become permanent as an⁤ inevitable result.

Díaz announced plans for a radical overhaul of time control measures ‍to ensure⁣ real-time monitoring of working hours. This digital, interoperable system will allow the Labor Inspection to track worker hours across the country, addressing the issue of ‍unpaid overtime.

She noted that when she took office,approximately 6 million⁤ irregular,unpaid overtime hours were worked each week in Spain. Thanks to the ‍Labor Inspection’s ‍efforts, that number has been reduced to⁢ 2.5 million.

Díaz criticized the right for ignoring the fiscal cost of unpaid overtime, notably in‍ Andalusia, where 293,000 extra hours are worked without compensation. She urged Moreno to address these‍ irregularities and ensure that working people can earn a ⁣living wage.

what’s next

The bill now goes to Congress for debate⁤ and a vote. Securing⁣ enough votes to pass the bill will be a⁣ challenge, but Díaz and her supporters are resolute to see it through. The reduction of ⁣the working ⁢day is a ⁤key⁢ government priority,⁤ and Díaz has vowed to fight for it until it⁤ becomes law.