The Junts party has officially notified the Spanish Ministry of Labor of its intention not to withdraw the proposed amendment that would completely reject the bill on reducing the working week. The issue is expected to be discussed at the plenary session of the Congress of Deputies as early as this Wednesday.
On Monday evening, Junts parliamentary representative Míriam Nogueras met with Secretary of State for Labor Joaquín Pérez Rey. During the talks, she confirmed that the party would not support the initiative to introduce a 37.5-hour workweek. The Ministry of Labor, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz, had previously tried to persuade Junts to change its position, but these efforts did not succeed.
In the morning, Deputy Prime Minister Díaz stated that she was in talks with Junts leader Carles Puigdemont to push the bill forward. However, some representatives of the Catalan political force said they were not aware of any such negotiations, indicating internal disagreements within the party over strategy on this issue.
At the same time, Yolanda Díaz called on workers to support the reduction of the working week. Her statement coincided with announced demonstrations by the UGT and CCOO unions, which plan to hold mass events in various regions of the country on the day of the vote. On the same day, Congress will consider amendments fully rejecting the bill, submitted not only by Junts, but also by the PP and Vox parties.
Thus, the fate of the initiative to shorten the workweek remains uncertain. The decision by Junts could significantly impact the outcome of the vote and the future development of labor legislation in Spain.
