Alejandra Olcese
Updated Tuesday, February 20, 2024-19:44
Labor Employers and unions agree that the reduction in working hours be done in annual hours and that it can be done with more days off
The
partners of the
coalition government have harshly criticized the second vice president,
Yolanda Díaz,
this Tuesday for bringing to Congress a
non-law proposal (PNL)
on the
reduction of the working day
to 37.5 hours from 2025, a measure that they consider "pure propaganda" and that it does not go in the right direction to improve the productivity of the economy. These criticisms have been added to those of the opposition, which asks that the working day not be reduced across the board for all employees and companies without taking into account the peculiarities of each sector.
"They have brought this NLP to Congress in a banal way, it is a marketing attempt when you have already agreed on the measure and have cared little about the opinion of the groups or collective bargaining (...) Instead of bringing an NLP we
should be working on improving productivity
to make more and better reductions in working hours possible (...) and on
conciliation measures,
since those approved in some cases have become a burden that employees bear, as is the case with parental leave. 8 weeks, with which the worker receives less salary, fewer vacations and is unprotected," denounced Idoia Sagastizabal, from the
PNV
.
Néstor Rego, from the
BNG
, has described the PNL as "purely propaganda" and has asked Sumar why he has not presented a bill, in addition to disgracing him that it is only negotiated with the two national unions, UGT and CCOO, and not with other autonomous regions that have representation as CIG.
Óscar Matute, from EH Bildu
, has focused on the fact that the reduction in working hours is negotiated
on an annual basis
, as EL MUNDO already reported, which means that in practice the companies and workers will be the ones in collective bargaining. to decide
how this working day is reduced
at a weekly level, whether by cutting the daily working day or keeping it as it is and
increasing the days of rest or vacations,
something that this party is not convinced about: "If what the norm does is increase the holidays We will not be doing what is necessary to facilitate mobility, contribute to the fight against climate change and facilitate care," he pointed out.
Unions, employers and the Government itself have admitted that the reduction will be on an annual basis, which will allow flexibility in the cut. Just as now the maximum working day must be an average of 40 hours a week, but there are employees who work more and in exchange have days of rest to comply with the annual; Now the same thing will happen but with 37.5 hours.
This party has warned that when the measure reaches Congress they will try to modify it so that
the reduction is approved sooner
and is more ambitious, so that it reaches 35 hours per week.
Of the investiture group, the party that has been most reluctant to the measure has been
Canarian Coalition
, which has asked that when legislating think about "SMEs and self-employed workers with one or two employees in whom it is not so easy to apply this reduction of the day". Cristina Valido has asked "
that they study the impact of the measure on different types of companies and the self-employed"
and that they seek "a reduction in hours that is not the same for everyone and that does not mean harming SMEs and their battered cash at the end of the month ".
The opposition, against
Beyond the criticism of the partners, the proposal presented by
Iñigo Errejón,
spokesperson for
Sumar
, has also received criticism from the opposition.
"It is a decision that has already been made.
It is an interventionist measure
that exceeds the powers of the Government to confront it, so everything indicates that it is a
political strategy to promote oneself
and hang a medal on the Socialist Party," said Ana Belén Vázquez. , of the PP. "They do not mention the companies, which would be the most affected by the increase in costs." "The labor market is 99.8% SMEs. Many of them will find it difficult to reduce their working hours while maintaining their salary, which
can put many jobs at risk."
The popular spokesperson has regretted that the PNL does not refer to the increase in labor costs that the measure will entail and has asked that it be done on an individual basis, sector by sector and company by company, and that it be done
on an annual basis;
In addition, a rigorous analysis is carried out in parallel, taking into account productivity and competitiveness.
"The Ministry of Labor has to abandon its
interventionist policies
," he asked. His party will support the reduction as long as it is decided in social dialogue and not by politics.
"If we ask on the street, everyone wants to work less and earn the same, there are even people who want not to work and earn the same," said
David García Gomis, from VOX
, who has denounced the
"blank slate."
"by lowering the working day for all workers and sectors alike.