in two years
Leaders from CEOE, Cepyme, and ATA have voiced strong objections to the core economic and social measures proposed by PSOE and Sumar in the legislative agreement. They particularly oppose the plan to reduce the standard 40-hour workweek to 37.5 hours without any salary reduction. Their concerns center on how these changes could affect business activity, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises and self-employed workers, and, by extension, overall growth.
In a joint statement, the three business associations stressed that the agreement targets issues tied to social dialogue while negotiating significant points such as working hours behind the scenes and without the participation of social partners. They described this approach as undermining the constitutional role of those actors in the labor market.
They also warned that the measures, if adopted, could alter the balance between work, rest, and productivity. The organizations emphasized the need to safeguard the autonomy of firms and avoid triggering higher operating costs amid other pressures already weighing on the economy.
in two years
The legal text laying out the PSOE-Sumar framework contemplates a gradual cut in working hours. It envisions 38.5 hours in 2024, with the change fully implemented by 2025. After that phase, a panel will be formed with social partners to assess the effects of the reduction and to consider sector-specific adjustments, productivity trends, and the evolution of statutory working hours under economic conditions.
Since 1984, labor regulations have set a maximum of 40 hours per week, translating into roughly 1,826 hours per year. As Sordo notes, the typical annual hours negotiated in collective agreements average about 1,642 hours, which corresponds to around 37.5 hours per week in practice. This 37.5-hour reference is the target that PSOE and Sumar intend to codify into law.
These shifts come amid ongoing debates about how best to balance competitiveness with fair labor standards, recognizing that the pace of change will be influenced by broader economic conditions and sectoral realities.
Unions applaud the reduction in the working week to 37.5 hours and want to bargain with employers on how to do this
In response to the proposed changes, employers led by Antonio Garamendi (CEOE), Gerardo Cuerva (Cepyme), and Lorenzo Amor (ATA) acknowledge that new ways of distributing time for work and rest may emerge. They insist, however, that such adjustments should come through collective bargaining rather than through legal mandates. They argue for a sector-by-sector and company-by-company approach, assessing whether there is sufficient efficiency and meeting organizational needs without imposing broad rules that raise costs for many firms, especially small and medium-sized ones.
Union representatives share a focus on the social dialogue framework. They support reducing the working week but prefer legislative action as a starting point. Groups like UGT and CCOO specifically advocate lowering from 40 hours to 35 hours, viewing the 37.5-hour target in the PSOE-Sumar agreement as a first step toward a broader reform.