At today’s meeting, Labour proposed a phased-in 37.5-hour working day, seeking an agreement that would include CEOE and Cepyme, but the employers’ organisation again rejected this, arguing that it was “an element that we are already engaged in collective bargaining.”
The UGT and CCOO unions have warned that if they do not make substantial and concrete progress at the next meeting to shorten the working day on July 29, they will call for a series of mobilisations in early September, although they will continue to negotiate.
In statements to the media following next Wednesday’s meeting on the shortening of the working day, CCOO’s secretary of trade union action said: Mari Cruz Vicenteregrets that they are like this at the moment in a ‘negotiation loop’ because there are no concrete proposals and the parties are not making any progress. “We feel that there is a certain traffic jam in the development of this negotiating table,” Vicente said.
During today’s meeting, the State Secretary for Labor and Social Economy, Joaquin Perez Reyhas conveyed to social actors the will to work on the possibility of this gradually introduce the 37.5-hour working daywith more flexible deadlines throughout 2025, with the aim of reaching an agreement involving CEOE and Cepyme.
For the Deputy Secretary General for Union Policy of the UGT, Fernando LujanThis measure cannot be postponed, although they are prepared to allow a transition period and be ‘flexible’ when it comes to adjusting the appointments to the days.
That is why the unions have reached out to the employers “Leave the 20th century and join the 21st century”“We are going to try to negotiate with them until we are exhausted. But the objective is inalienable,” Luján stressed.
However, employer sources report that CEOE has again refused to legally shorten the working day, because that is the case “an element that is already being worked on in the area of collective labor agreement negotiations”.
For her part, the spokesperson for EH Bildu said in Congress: Mertxe Aizpuruawho referred to this issue in the plenary session of Congress today, has demanded that the Spanish government does not wait any longer and brings the shortening of the working day without loss of pay to the House of Representatives “whether employers like it or not”.
Source: EITB
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
