Workers covered by collective agreements with working hours of less than 38.5 hours per week multiplied by more than two between 2000 and 2022 in Spain, going from 20.1% to 44.5%.
This is clear from a Cepyme study collected by Servimediafrom whose data it can be concluded that almost half of the workers would already benefit from only one hour or less of reduction in the working day if the Ministry of Labor and Social Economy achieves the measure of cutting the working day to 37.5 hours weekly see the light.
But if the proportion of employees with shorter hours increases, it consequently falls in the upper part of the agreed hours. Thus, if in fiscal year 2000 the percentage of workers with working days of more than 39.5 hours was 18.8%, in 2022 that figure fell to 7.9%, 10.9 points less.
In other words, between 2000 and 2022, the proportion of employees with days of up to 38.5 hours more than doubled (from 20.1% to 44.5%), while that of those with days of at least 39 .5 hours fell by more than half (from 18.8% to 7.9%).
Despite the trend towards reducing working time, the majority of sectors have agreed average working hours of more than 37.5 hours per week, Yolanda Díaz’s objective agreed with UGT and CCOO without the support of CEOE and Cepyme. In fact, in three sectors, the average agreed working day is at least 39 hours per week: hospitality, commerce and agriculture.
In four other branches of activity, the agreed working time is, on average, at least 38.5 hours per week: real estate activities, administrative activities, other services and professional and technical activities.
The only areas with average agreed working hours of less than 37.5 hours per week are water and sanitation, finance and insurance, information and communications, public administrations and education. These activities, consequently, would not be affected for the most part by the reduction in working hours promoted by Labor.
With these data on the table, Cepyme considers that the reduction in working hours should be done taking into account the reality of sectors and companies, especially in the case of SMEs, which will be most affected. And, according to the Cepyme report collected by Servimedia, three out of every four workers covered by collective bargaining currently have working hours of over 37.5 hours.
Productivity down
Likewise, this employer’s association warns that productivity in Spain has already fallen for five quarters in the case of SMEs, in a year-on-year comparison.
“If the volume of sales per employee decreases, the labor cost per unit sold increases even though salaries remain the same. In turn, the greater weight of labor costs reduces the funds available for investment, with all the problems that this entails” , says Cepyme.
For the moment, after 11 months of negotiations, CEOE distanced itself from the reduction in working hours and now Labor is trying to push the measure forward with the support of CCOO and UGT. However, the text must overcome the existing differences between Díaz and the Minister of Economy, Carlos Body, who is committed to a more gradual application taking into account collective bargaining.
Furthermore, a very complex parliamentary negotiation awaits the future bill, since it is essential that Junts allow the measure to be approved and so far it has shown reluctance, although without yet specifying its position.
#Workers #working #hours #hours #multiplied #century
