Spain's Minister of Labour, Yolanda Díaz, suggested earlier closing times for restaurants sparking widespread outrage. Díaz said the current timings are out of step with the rest of Europe.
ADVERTISEMENTSpain's Minister of Labour, Yolanda Díaz, faces backlash after suggesting restaurants should close earlier. Díaz argues for shorter workweeks, and adjusting closing times by one hour. The minister said, "It is not reasonable for Spain to be a country where we convene meetings at 20:00 in the evening. It is not reasonable for a country that has its restaurants open at 1:00 a.m.".
Diaz raised concerns about the detrimental effects on mental health caused by working past 10 pm. However, hospitality workers do not all agree with this suggestions some say that earlier closures could spell disaster for businesses already struggling to recover from the impacts of the pandemic.
"We already cut customers, we cut with the pandemic, and we cut the closure; we are only going to dedicate ourselves to pay taxes and collect zero," one said, highlighting the financial strain faced by many establishments.
The government pact between the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party and Sumar to move towards shorter workweeks includes the abandonment of the 40-hour workweek, setting the maximum legal working week at 38.5 hours in 2024, with a further reduction to 37.5 hours in 2025. In the meantime, employers and unions are in discussions regarding the execution of this governmental commitment. The CCOO estimates that this change would impact approximately 13 million workers.