The main measure of the agreement between the PSOE and Sumar is already known to everyone if they get enough investiture support: the reduction of the working day from 40 hours per week to 38.5 in 2024 with the aim of reaching the 37.5 in 2025.
This measure will be approved if the socialist party obtains 176 votes in favor in the first round of the absolute majority of the investiture which, although it does not have a date, must be held before November 27. Currently, the investiture has only 158 guaranteed votes: 121 from PSOE, 31 from Sumar and 6 from EH Bildu. If Sánchez and his party do not get enough support in the first round, they will be able to apply for the second round through a simple majority where they only need to have more votes in favor than against. In other words, more yes than no.
Who will benefit from the reduction in working hours agreed by Sánchez and DÃaz?
But, if the reduction in working hours is approved, who will benefit from it? First of all, it should be noted that this is a step that has been agreed upon but not approved or developed. This means that there is still very little information about it. However, it is known that everything depends on the collective agreement and the labor sector to which one belongs.
In the pact, the PSOE and Sumar stated the following about the reduction of the working day: “Its application will take place progressively, which will decrease to 38.5 hours in 2024 and end in 2025. evaluate the results of the reduction and continue in the progress of reducing the legal working day, taking into account the characteristics of different sectors of activity”.
Now, as reported by the Ministry of Labor, this reduction in working hours could benefit 12 million salaried people in the private sector. In other words, 83.3% of these workers, because the rest, 16.7%, have agreements of 37.5-hour days. Of them, only 11.9% worked less than 37.5 hours. So, to find out if this measure affects you, you should check how many working hours are set in the collective agreement.
For example, in the financial or teaching sectors, days of 37.5 hours or less are usually included. In particular, Banco Santander established a working day of 38.5 hours from September to June and 35.5 hours in the months of July and August. However, in other sectors such as agriculture or livestock and hospitality, this step has not been considered.
Regarding the public sector, it is estimated that 3 million people already work 37.5 hours per week. In fact, their union, CSIF, is requesting that the working hours of these officers be reduced to 35 hours.
Finally, the reduction of the working day may be approved in a draft bill to amend the Labor Law. The law will also include a new increase in the minimum wage that PSOE and Sumar want to approve.
