Spain’s government, led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, has approved a reduction of the standard workweek from 40 to 37.5 hours following a year of intense negotiations. However, the measure still lacks the necessary parliamentary majority for full implementation.
No salary reduction: Workers’ wages will remain unchanged despite fewer working hours.
Applies to public and large private sectors: The measure covers government employees and major private companies.
Parliamentary approval still needed: The bill must pass a parliamentary vote before it takes full effect.
Following the approval, Labor Minister Yolanda Díaz emphasized the historical significance of the decision:
“It has been 41 years since Spain last reduced working hours and 20 years since any European country has implemented such a measure.”
BREAKING NEWS: 🇪🇸 Spain’s coalition government has approved a historic labour reform, reducing the legal working week from 40 to 37.5 hours without cutting wages.
Díaz also argued that efficiency—not long hours—is key to productivity.
“Reducing working hours will improve productivity in our country. It’s not about spending more hours at work; it’s about being efficient.”
The proposal originates from an agreement between Spain’s two largest labor unions but lacks support from business organizations, which withdrew from negotiations.
The workweek reduction fulfills a major promise of the left-wing coalition formed by Sumar and the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE). However, Sánchez must now rally additional support in Parliament to secure the majority needed for final approval.
