After more than a week of open confrontation, the second vice president of the Government and Minister of Labor, Yolanda Díaz, and the Minister of Economy, Carlos Body, have agreed this Wednesday to begin the study within the Executive of the reduction of working hours next January 27th. After the tension between both departments has eased in recent days, everything indicates that the processing will be carried out through the emergency procedureas Díaz demanded. Likewise, no changes have been announced in the text agreed upon by Labor with the unions.
According to sources from this ministry, the meeting on January 27 will be in the Government Delegate Commission for Economic Affairs (CDGAE)which is the one that brings together all the Executive departments with economic responsibilities. What is not specified is the date on which the Council of Ministers is scheduled to begin processing the bill to reduce the working day to 37.5 hours per week, which is the agreement reached by Labor with the unions – not with the employer—last December.
The sources consulted only explain that “both ministries will continue working on this issue so that go to the Council of Ministers as soon as possible“However, once the first step has been taken, that the text receives the green light from the CDGAE, the logical thing is that in just a few days the project will be analyzed by the General Commission of Secretaries and Undersecretaries of State and, immediately afterwards, reaches the ministerial cabinet meeting so that its processing officially begins, most likely at the beginning of February. That, however, is only the beginning: the norm will have to be analyzed later by Congress, where most likely the allies of the Congress. Government will propose some changes on the agreement reached with the unions.
Díaz had demanded that the reduction in working hours be brought to a Council of Ministers this January, but Economy did not consider that option at the beginning of the month and explained that the CDGAE would first have to study the matter. Of course, as they soon offered, January 27, which is finally the date that the two ministers agreed on this Wednesday. Yes, then Labor doubted that the department headed by Corps would accept this daywhich in the end has happened.
The implementation of the bill to reduce working hours It started to unravel last Monday, when Díaz and Corps met after several days of conflict — which included some off-color statements — to try to bring positions closer. Then, the meeting ended without an agreement, but Labor sources assured that they had perceived a change in attitude in the Economy. This Wednesday morning, those from Díaz demanded an urgent response from Corps on the two questions that were on the table: whether the measure is going to be processed in the Council of Ministers through the emergency procedure and whether the socialist part of the Government refuses to make changes to the agreement signed by Díaz with the unions. Finally, the agreement was announced around 9:00 p.m.
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