Madrid. A split in Spain’s left-wing coalition government over a plan to implement a shorter work week with the same salary erupted yesterday after Labor Minister Yolanda Díaz accused Economy Minister Carlos Corpo of put on on the side of the bosses
.
Díaz, who leads the left-wing Sumar party, told Spain’s state-run National Radio that he had manifest disagreements
about the plan with the Socialist Party, of President Pedro Sánchez, and appealed to his colleagues to respect
to the committee of experts that prepared it.
Díaz pointed to Minister Corps, who suggested delaying the plan for a year to give small businesses time to adapt. Body must decide What side are you on, if you are with the workers of this country who ask to live a little better or if you are on the side of the employers
he indicated.
A source from the Spanish Ministry of Economy stated that the government remained committed to the plan and that its implementation was a priority
.
Spain was one of the European countries with the best economic results last year, with growth driven by the rise of tourism, immigration and the strengthening of the labor market.
Díaz, who is also second vice president of the Government, made the plan to reduce working hours a central element of her party’s support for the minority government of President Sánchez. Its objective is to reduce this working day to 37.5 hours per week from the current 40, without salary changes, before the end of 2025. Both the Bank of Spain and the previous Minister of Economy have warned that the increase in labor costs could fuel inflation and slow down job creation.
The private initiative has also expressed its concern. The Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations, the country’s main employer association, defends that the reduction in working hours is not imposed by law, but rather through collective bargaining, and that each company can adapt it to its specific needs.
Meanwhile, Spain closed 2024 with 2.56 million unemployed, the lowest number registered in a month of December since 2007, the Ministry of Labor reported on its website.