Negotiations are heating up in Barcelona between unions and city officials over the future of working conditions for nearly 15,000 municipal employees. The main objective is to reduce the standard workweek from 37.5 to 35 hours. In addition, other guarantees are being discussed: the right to digital disconnection outside working hours, the possibility of transfers between districts, as well as new types of leave and flexible working time arrangements.
Since the beginning of the year, representatives of the largest unions — CC OO and UGT — have been regularly meeting with the city administration. According to them, the main parameters have already been agreed for most employees working under the so-called “general schedule”: roughly 10,000 people who mainly work mornings and only take an evening shift once a week. For other categories, such as city police officers (Guardia Urbana) and firefighters, details are still being finalized — their schedules are more complex and require a tailored approach.
Positions of the parties
The unions insist that reducing hours should not affect salaries or the quality of services provided. They hope to sign a new agreement by the end of the year so that it will take effect in 2025 and remain in force until 2028. At the same time, not everyone agrees with the proposed changes. For instance, the CGT union has expressed concerns that shorter hours could lead to heavier workloads for remaining staff and even a reduction in some services for residents.
Employees of the Municipal Social Services Institute have expressed particular dissatisfaction. They have already announced protests, stating that they are already working at their limits, while the queues for social assistance continue to grow. In their view, the new rules could worsen the situation unless the number of staff is increased.
Agreement details
Representatives of four unions are involved in the negotiations: five from CC OO, four from UGT, three from CSIF, and three from CGT. According to Maria Rosa Tomás, who leads CC OO in the municipality, the main achievement will be a reduction in the work week without loss of income. She notes that for some categories of employees, such as those with irregular schedules, additional compensation may be introduced.
Pablo Romero from UGT points out that the city already has reduced hours during the summer and at Christmas. The new goal is to extend these conditions to everyone, including social service workers, preschool staff, firefighters, and police officers. It is important that no group of workers is left out of the reform.
Challenges and concerns
Municipal authorities emphasize that negotiations are nearing completion. They are seeking a balance between improving working conditions and maintaining high-quality service for residents. Officials acknowledge that reducing the work week has long been a union demand, but its implementation requires careful planning, especially for those working shifts or in emergency services.
At the same time, some employees fear that the changes could increase the workload in already overburdened departments. Several unions are demanding not only shorter hours, but also an expansion of staff to prevent a decline in service quality.
Next steps
The final version of the agreement is expected to be put to a vote in the city council. If approved, the new rules will take effect next year. For now, discussions continue as the parties work to address the concerns of all categories of employees and prevent any disruption to city services.
In case you didn’t know, the Barcelona municipality is one of the city’s largest employers, uniting over 14,000 staff members across various fields—from administrative personnel to emergency services and social workers. The CC OO and UGT unions have traditionally played a leading role in negotiations with the authorities, representing the majority of municipal employees. The reduction of the workweek has been under discussion in Spain for several years, and Barcelona may become one of the first major cities to implement these changes in practice.
