Businesses in Spain reluctant to agree to 37.5 hours working week plan

Business and industry in Spain has still not signed up to the government's plan to reduce the working week for staff from 40 hours to 37.5 hours while still giving people the same amount of pay. The government and trade unions back the idea.

The head of the CEOE, Spain's confederation of business and industry, Antonio Garamendi, said, "The reduction in working hours would be tantamount to giving away almost 12 extra days of holiday per worker paid by the employer."

"Now there are record employment figures, the ministry of Work is boasting about it. But, as it is mainly businesses doing the hiring these are the ones who should be boasting about it," he added.