The Spanish Footwear Industry Federation, known as FICE, has voiced serious concern and disagreement with the minister of Labour’s proposal to cut the working week, along with other labor measures that would impact the shoe sector. FICE says these steps undermine social dialogue because they were taken without adequate engagement with social partners and would place an additional burden on footwear companies, risking competitiveness in a global and highly export-oriented market.
It is also noted that the current agreement was the result of social dialogue after a year of negotiations with the unions and remains in force through the end of 2025.
Among the legislative changes proposed is the immediate effective date of reducing the weekly working hours to 38.5 hours, starting the day after the decree is published in the official gazette. Beginning in January of the next year, the average annual hours will be adjusted to 37.5 per week in actual worked hours.
No flexibility is foreseen to accommodate different sectors or individual companies, despite requests from the associations, including FICE, to invite counterproposals and negotiate improvements to this starting point.
FICE argues that a maximum weekly working time cannot be set, as the government proposes, without considering annual hours. The federation contends that fixing a weekly ceiling would reduce productivity and complicate production conditions, making companies far less competitive.
Additionally, the government’s measures include higher social security contributions for certain worker categories, which would impose extra costs directly on the companies.
There is also the obligation to maintain employment levels. Companies must ensure that no layoffs occur as a direct result of the new working hours, a rule that further limits management flexibility and adaptation to new conditions, according to the footwear federation.
Strengthening controls and sanctions is part of the package: increased oversight and penalties for firms that fail to comply with the new labor rules, thereby boosting the costs of compliance.
From the footwear industry’s perspective, measures introduced without genuine dialogue create uncertainty and raise costs for businesses. The sector, which relies heavily on skilled labor and international markets, could be seriously affected.
FICE argues that this imposition, combined with the absence of appropriate compensatory measures, will inevitably raise production costs. This could translate into higher prices for customers and even lead to plant closures and job losses in regions dependent on footwear manufacturing.
As the minister of Labour warned that if the federation does not move on by the coming Monday, negotiations with unions could settle on extending the 40-hour week to 37.5 hours without wage reductions, the federation criticizes what it sees as government imposition.
Business associations, including FICE, stress the need for genuine flexibility and a real social dialogue. They point to CEOE’s approach, which envisions 2026 as a more viable timeline to implement these measures. It is crucial for the sector that the government recognizes the sector’s realities and its capacity to adapt.
FICE advocates for constructive dialogue that yields a sustainable labor framework without compromising competitiveness or the survival of companies. They warn of the sectoral deterioration that these measures could cause in the second half of the year and emphasize that this moment requires thoughtful consensus to avoid a larger negative impact on the footwear industry and the workers who depend on it.