Spanish bill to cut workweek to 37.5 hours heads to parliament after receiving government approval

MADRID — Workers in Spain may soon have 2.5 more hours of weekly rest after the government on Tuesday approved a bill that would reduce the workweek from 40 hours to 37.5 hours.

If enacted, the bill — which will now go to parliament — would benefit 12.5 million full-time and part-time private sector workers and is expected to improve productivity and reduce absenteeism, according to the Ministry of Labor.

“Today, we are modernizing the world of labor and helping people to be a little happier,” said Labor Minister Yolanda Díaz, who heads the left-wing party Sumar (Joining Forces).

The measure, which already applies to civil servants and some other sectors, would mainly affect retail, manufacturing, hospitality, and construction, Díaz added.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's left-wing coalition government does not have a clear majority in parliament, where the bill must be approved for it to become law. The main trade unions have expressed support for the proposal, unlike business associations.

Sumar, the hard-left minority partner of Sánchez’s Socialist Party, proposed the bill.

The Catalan nationalist party Junts (Together), an occasional ally of Sánchez’s coalition, expressed concern over what it said would be negative consequences for small companies and the self-employed under a shorter working week.

The coalition will have to balance the demands of Junts and other smaller parties to get the bill passed.

Spain has had a 40-hour workweek since 1983, when it was reduced from 48 hours.