Unions blast postponement of 37.5-hour workweek vote

Major unions have slammed the Spanish government's decision to delay the vote on a shorter workweek until after the summer, and called on Catalan pro-independence party Junts to "decide whose side they're on."

In recent weeks, the Spanish government has held several meetings with Junts over the proposal to cut the working week from 40 hours to 37.5 hours, but on Tuesday decided to postpone a Congress vote on the bill to allow more time for negotiations.

At a protest in Barcelona on Wednesday, the CCOO and UGT unions called the delay a "failure."

"This is a failure for both the government and the investiture majority," said Camil Ros, the General Secretary of the UGT in Catalonia.

Between 1,000 (according to local police) and 2,500 (according to organizers) union members gathered outside the headquarters of Catalan employers' association Foment del Treball.

The trade unionists argued that the Spanish government and its partners have had "enough time" to reach an agreement and particularly pointed the finger at Junts.

"We don't understand kicking the can down the road," said Belén López, General Secretary of the CCOO in Catalonia.

Junts, the party of former Catalan president, Carles Puigdemont, have expressed interest in safeguarding small and medium-sized businesses, the self-employed, and workers in Catalonia, calling for a solution based on consensus.

"It’s a mistake, and we're just as upset with the government as, of course, with the parties that backed the investiture [of Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez], specifically Junts, who are the ones in the negotiation," said Ros.

The Spanish government is short of a majority in Congress, with the conservative People's Party and far-right Vox also against the bill.

"We demand that the right-wing forces, along with Junts, decide whose side they're on – whether it's the Catalan social majority, the workers who want a better life, or the lobbies, who are selfishly hoarding profits," López said.

The rally also protested employers' blocking of collective bargaining agreements and, in turn, wage increases.

Spain took the first step towards reducing the working week to 37.5 hours in February, with the cabinet approving a draft bill in May.