The Ministry of Labor has presented its “last offer” to the social dialogue table that negotiates the reduction of the maximum legal working day to 37.5 hours from the beginning of 2024, assuming that it does not have time to reach 38.5 hours this year. The department headed by the second vice president, Yolanda Díaz, has expanded the package of direct aid and subsidies to smaller companies in sectors such as commerce or agriculture. Díaz’s ‘number two’, Joaquín Pérez Rey, has called on the employers’ association CEOE and Cepyme to decide their position facing the next meeting that will definitively close the reform, on November 11.
Without the foreseeable agreement in Diego de León 50, Labor assures that it will sign the unilateral agreement with the unions under less favorable conditions for the companies.
The Government maintains the scheme to address this reduction in working time with three pillars: the new digital time record to which the Labor Inspection would have access, a reform of the right to digital disconnection of employees in line with Europe, and a plan of aid to smaller companies to promote the path towards the maximum working day that Díaz foresees.
The so-called ‘SME 375 plan’ includes several formulas to support and subsidize companies in their social contributions for hiring permanent workers caused by reductions in hours and the conversion of part-time contracts to full-time in companies with less than ten workers.
Add now in this last quote bonuses for microbusinesses with fewer than five employees in five sectors that are furthest from the weekly hours goal: commerce, hospitality, hairdressing, cleaning and agriculture. According to the Government, some 470,000 companies will be distributed between 350 and 375 million euros in direct aid with a limit of 6,000 euros per company with the aim of improving their productivity and digitalization.
The unions have mentioned the “blockade” that they consider to exist from the employers’ association after ten months of meetings. Employers, who do not usually comment, have maintained their script and prioritize collective agreements to reduce working time.
“This doesn’t matter anymore”lamented Carlos Bravo, the secretary of public policies and social protection of CCOO. He assures that the centers will study the latest proposal only if there are expectations of consensus with the employers; while affirming that the proposals to improve time control and digital disconnection still need adjustments before completing the reform in the shortest possible time. “The best that can happen is a tripartite agreement,” maintains Bravo.
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