He Ministry of Labor and Social Economyled by Yolanda Díaz, continues working to ensure that the reduction of the working day to 37.5 hours per week is a reality along with other labor rights. Although the measure still has to be approved by the Cortes, at the moment the agreement has been signed between the Ministry of Labor and the unions. The objective is that it no longer passes through 38.5 hours first, and that directly reach 37.5 hours per week.
The reduction of the working day will be implemented under the premise of do not reduce salariesthat is, working fewer hours while receiving the same salary. This is a measure that will benefit many workers with a 40-hour work week, but will benefit even more those who currently receive the minimum interprofessional wage (SMI).
How the reduction of the working day affects the SMI
The Minimum Interprofessional Wage for 2025 is set at the 15,876 euros per yearwhich divided into 14 payments, is equivalent to 1,134 euros per month. In the case of having the prorated payments, this will be 1,323 euros per monththe same as the minimum contribution base. When calculating the hourly wage, it is 8.21 euros in 14 payments and 8.87 euros in 12 payments. Thus, the minimum daily wage would be 37.80 euros gross (53.71 euros in the case of temporary farm workers).
As we have said, the minimum wage is not affected by the reduction in the working day, that is, even if the SMI is lowered, it will remain the same, 15,876 euros per year. In such a way that with the reduction of the working day, The SMI per hour worked would be 9.75 euros per hour when the working day reaches 37.5 hours.
| Weekly schedule | Monthly SMI (14 payments) | SMI per hour |
|---|---|---|
| 40 hours | €1,134 | €8.28 |
| 37.5 hours | €1,134 | €9.75 |
In the following list you can see how the minimum wage per hour worked to 37.5 hours.
| working day | SMI at 40 hours | SMI at 37.5 hours |
|---|---|---|
| 40 hours | €1,323 | |
| 39 hours | €1,289.45 | |
| 38 hours | €1,256.85 | |
| 37.5 hours | — | €1,323 |
| 37 hours | €1223.78 | €1,305.36 |
| 36 hours | €1,190.7 | €1,270.08 |
| 35 hours | €1,157.63 | €1,234.8 |
| 34 hours | €1,124.55 | €1,199.52 |
| 33 hours | €1,091.48 | €1,164.24 |
| 32 hours | €1,058.4 | €1,128.96 |
| 31 hours | €1,025.33 | €1,093.68 |
| 30 hours | €992.25 | €1,058.4 |
| 29 hours | €959.18 | €1,023.12 |
| 28 hours | €926.1 | €987.84 |
| 27 hours | €893.03 | €952.56 |
| 26 hours | €859.95 | €917.28 |
| 25 hours | €826.88 | €882 |
| 24 hours | €793.8 | €846.72 |
| 23 hours | €760.73 | €811.44 |
| 22 hours | €727.65 | €776.16 |
| 21 hours | €694.58 | €740.88 |
| 20 hours | €661.5 | €705.6 |
| 19 hours | €628.43 | €670.32 |
| 18 hours | €595.35 | €635.04 |
| 17 hours | €562.28 | €599.76 |
| 16 hours | €529.2 | €564.48 |
| 15 hours | €496.13 | €529.2 |
| 14 hours | €463.05 | €493.92 |
| 13 hours | €429.98 | €458.64 |
| 12 hours | €396.9 | €423.36 |
| 11 hours | €363.83 | €388.08 |
| 10 hours | €330.75 | €352.8 |
| 9 hours | €297.68 | €317.52 |
| 8 hours | €264.6 | €282.24 |
| 7 hours | €231.53 | €246.96 |
| 6 hours | €198.45 | €211.68 |
| 5 hours | €165.38 | €176.4 |
| 4 hours | €132.3 | €141.12 |
| 3 hours | €99.23 | €105.84 |
The government will raise the SMI
The government and rather the Ministry of Labor wants to continue raising the Minimum Interprofessional Wage if possible by 2024 and if not, at the beginning of 2025. The idea is that it continues to grow above the CPI (Consumer Price Index) to position itself thus 60% of the average salary, a fact that was affirmed by Unai Sordo, general secretary of the Workers’ Commissions (CCOO).
To achieve this objective, it is necessary that in 2025, the SMI increases by 4.6%, that is, charging approximately 1,186 euros or 1,384 euros per month in the case of having prorated payments. In total it would be charging about 16,606.29 euros.
Spain in the lower part in terms of working hours
According to data from Eurostatmost countries in the European Union have a standard working day of 40 hours per week, distributed over five working days and two days of rest. Even so, it is necessary to distinguish between the legal working day and the average working day, which reflects the actual hours worked weekly in each country. According to 2022 figures, The average number of hours worked in Europe is 37.5 hours per week.
In this sense, Spain is within the European average, with an average working day of 37.5 hours per week. However, several countries in Europe enjoy even shorter working hours. In countries such as the Netherlands, Austria, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, Finland, Switzerland, Ireland and Norway, workers work less than 35 hours a week. The Netherlands has the shortest working day, with only 30.9 hours per week, followed by Austria (33.6 hours), Denmark (34.2 hours), Germany (34.5 hours), and Belgium (34.8 hours). hours).
On the other hand, countries such as Portugal, Greece, Romania, Croatia, Slovenia and Poland have longer working hours than Spain, which reflects a significant diversity in work models within Europe.
Confrontation over reducing working hours
Yolanda Díaz’s proposal to reduce the working day, defended as a “sacred” agreement with the unions, has provoked strong controversy in the Government and rejection in the business community. From the employers are alerted to the disproportionate impact that this measure would have in small and medium-sized companies, which represent the 90% of the Spanish business fabricand its estimated cost of 12,000 million euros. Furthermore, the 20% increase in business costs since 2018 and Spain’s high unemployment rate reinforce concerns about the economic effects of this initiative.
On the other hand, the Minister of Economy, Carlos Bodyhas shown a willingness to negotiate as long as the measure includes businessmen, which would ensure key parliamentary support. Despite this, the discrepancy lies not only in the procedure, but also in the substance of the debate on Who will bear the costs of reducing the working day?.
According to critics, The real issue in the Spanish labor market is not time worked, but low productivity. Meanwhile, international organizations and economic experts emphasize that any measure of this type must be carefully designed to avoid adverse effects on employment and growth. In this context, Díaz’s initiative, described as his latest political flag, raises doubts about its viability in an economy with serious structural problems.