Spain Will Trial A Four-Day Workweek In Response To The Pandemic
Spain News
Published: 29 January 2021 13:18 CET
Updated: 17 February 2021 13:18 CET
Spain is to trial a four-day workweek as a response to the Coronavirus pandemic in an attempt to keep more people in work.
The plans which were revealed back in December, have now been given the green light by the treasury and could see some firms cut their employees workweek from the average 37.5 to 32 hours with no loss of pay.
The pilot project will mean that the government will provide financial backing to firms that take part in the initiative at a cost of around €50 million. If successful, it could be rolled out across the country.
The plan was proposed by the left-wing Más País party, whose support was required by the socialist-led government to pass a new deal on how EU recovery funds will be allocated.
Leader of the party, Íñigo Errejón, confirmed on Thursday that Spain’s finance ministry had accepted the plan.
Although the small print for the project is yet to be finalised, both parties are expected to meet in the coming weeks to agree on the guidelines for its implementation.
When challenged about the concept which many feel to be unrealistic, Mr Errejón said, "The eight-hour working day was unrealistic a century ago."
Businesswoman and founder of the 4 Day Week Campaign in Spain, Maria Alvarez said the pilot represented "a sensible idea that should be in every government's toolbox coming out of this crisis".
"What this pilot reveals is that the four-day week has never been a moonshot. Quite the opposite,” she said.
Alvarez said that similar plans were also being considered by other governments in Europe and around the world and that it was needed to get countries out of the economic, health and social crisis caused by the pandemic.
Will the UK follow?
Autonomy, a UK based think-tank are also keen for companies to adopt the idea and have outlined a road map on how the move could be made to shift to a shorter working week.
Director Will Stronge said, “Having worked with Spanish public authorities on this issue in the past, it is exciting to see such ambition now turned into action.
"Other governments and political parties, including those here in the UK, should take note.”
Joe Ryle, a campaigner with the 4 Day Week UK Campaign, said: “This could pave the way for Spain to become the first country in the world to move towards a four-day working week.
“We know from history that shorter working hours are the best way of spreading existing work more equally across the economy in times of economic recession and crisis.
“The UK government and the rest of the world should learn from the Spanish example and embrace shorter working hours in response to the Covid pandemic.”
Source
https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/spain-trial-four-day-week-23407436
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/spain-covid-four-day-week-pilot-b1794322.html
https://www.businessinsider.es/espana-ayudara-empresas-prueben-semana-laboral-4-dias-800251
https://www.lavozdegalicia.es/noticia/economia/2021/01/29/gobierno-destinara-50-millones-proyecto-implantar-jornada-laboral-cuatro-dias/0003_202101G29P28992.htm
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