Breaking Down Barriers: The Unprecedented Tension between Businessmen and Spain’s Executive over Reducing the Workday

The tension between businessmen and the Executive is becoming increasingly apparent, especially in discussions about cutting the workday. This is evident at the recent Annual Assembly of Cepyme, where the Minister of Digital Transformation, Jose Luis Escriva, did not attend as planned. This absence coincided with the announcement of a manifesto against Executive interference and in support of business freedom to be read at the event.

The manifesto, titled “Manifesto for Spanish SMEs: Defending Enterprise Freedom,” aims to push back against what small businesses see as interventionist measures by the government. Despite attempts by the Ministry of Digital Transition to obtain a copy of the manifesto, there were reports that no such pressure was exerted on employers’ association representatives. This led to Escriva’s decision not to attend the event, despite his common presence at Cepyme events in the past.

The tension between the Executive and employers has been brewing for some time now, with disagreements over proposals to reduce the workday in Spain. Cepyme calculated that such a reduction could cost companies billions of euros, leading to a stalemate between