According to Urkullu, the four-day weekly service must be approached “with great care”.

After last week the Second Vicelehendakari of the Basque Government and Minister of Labor and Employment, Idoia Mendiaput on the table the possibility of introducing a 4-day working week, the Lehendakari of the Basque government, Inigo Urkulluhas indicated that it is a matter “complicated and delicate” that the Basque government is going to do “with great care”.

The lehendakari has announced that the possibility of maintaining productivity and wages will be taken into account. Likewise, he has indicated that the diversity of sectors for which this four-day weekday can be considered will be appreciated, and he has emphasized that this will always be done with respect for the will of companies and employees.

“The key is that, as it has been possible until now, through an agreement between businessmen and women, and workers and workers, with a voluntary adoption of such an initiative,” he indicated.

In an interview this morning on Radio Euskadi, the Minister of Economy and Finance, Pedro Azpiazu, has said that he sees the four-day workday as possible only if productivity allows it. Similarly, he added that reducing the weekly working day to four days is a “very difficult” issue and would be very difficult to “generalize” given the “heterogeneity” of the companies.

Mendia announced on Friday in the Basque Parliament that he will propose to the Table of the Social Dialogue to set up a working group on labor innovation, with a study with practice test and final evaluation, which will include, among other things, the implementation of the four-day working week without a pay cut and without an increase in hoursworkplace participation, “empowering employees”, and “exploring” telecommuting and reconciliation.