The Minister of Economy, Carlos Cuerpo, has announced that the reform for reducing the working hours will be debated in the Council of Ministers next week. Cuerpo has expressed the importance of introducing "guarantees" for small and medium enterprises to help them cope with the economic impact of the reduction in working hours.
Although the contacts between Economy and Labor were intense last week, differences still exist regarding the content of the norm. While Economy seeks to introduce aid to companies, Labor opposes it as a punitive measure due to the rejection of employers to sign a prior agreement.
For the reduction in working hours to be approved in the Council of Ministers on February 4, it is necessary for it to first be approved in the commission of secretaries and deputy secretaries this Thursday. The implementation of the 37.5 working hours still does not have specific deadlines, and it is expected that after the approval in the first round in the Council of Ministers, the advisory bodies will issue their rulings, which could delay the process for several months before reaching Congress.
Carlos Cuerpo has emphasized the importance of seeking parliamentary support for the norm to be viable, recalling the defeat suffered by the Executive last week with the fall of the omnibus decree. The Minister of Economy has stressed the need to achieve a balance in the norm, seeking not only to increase workers' rights but also to assist companies in this process.
For their part, sources from the Ministry of Labor are confident that the draft bill presented this afternoon reflects the agreement previously reached between Yolanda Díaz's department, UGT, and CCOO in December. The reduction in working hours not only involves an increase in pay per hour worked but also the need for additional hiring to maintain the same level of service, which poses challenges for companies.
At a breakfast event organized by Europa Press, the Minister of Labor, Yolanda Díaz, acknowledged that, despite the draft law being processed urgently, the legislative process will require a considerable amount of time.
