After almost a year of negotiations, an agreement was finally reached between the Ministry of Labour and the workers unions CCOO and UGT to slash the number of hours in the working working week from 40 hours to 37.5.
The Spanish Labour Minister Yolanda Díaz said previously that reducing the working week by two and a half hours would improve the work-life balance of 12 million employees across the country and would increase productivity.
It means an amendment of article 34 of the Workers' Statute, which currently includes a maximum working time of 40 hours per week.
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The agreement also includes a clause whereby companies must digitise time records, which can be accessed in real time by Labour Inspection. In addition, there will be tougher sanctions and fines for companies that commit serious breaches when it comes to maximum working hours and holiday days.
The reduction in working hours does not mean there will be any loss of salary nor does it mean that it can be absorbed or compensated through workers' salary bonuses.
In the case of part-time workers, they will have the right to maintain the number of hours they had previously agreed upon and a salary increase proportional to the reduction in working hours.
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Not everyone is happy with the plan. The tourism sector and small businesses have campaigned against the changes saying that the estimated the losses it would reach billions of euros.
The Ministry of Labour and unions, however, have argued that it would increase productivity instead.
The proposed plan must now undergo a parliamentary process in which it needs the approval of the six investiture partners of the government in order to be put into force.
This could be difficult given that the Catalan political party Junts opposes a reduction in working hours. The agreement may also undergo several modifications and amendments before it becomes a reality.
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