The improvement of the welfare state, equality or family reconciliation seem to have found a stumbling block. After long negotiations between parties, unions and employers; finally the law to reduce the working day from 40 hours a week to 37.5; has not gone ahead. Understand well, it is not that it has not been approved, but that it has not even been accepted for processing. This reduction in working hours would benefit 12.5 million workers (56% of the workforce). The rest, some 10 million, have long enjoyed this reduction. An important gap in working conditions is revalidated and even deepened, which affects equality. There are no two Spains; however, this fact confirms two categories of workers.
The responsibilities for this failure are shared. In the world of politics, the socialist part of the government stood aside, did not get involved. Perhaps waiting for greater successes (approving the budget law). The three rights that have prevented the processing of this rule (PP, VOX and Junts), have defended the most rancid part of the interests of capital. However, when militants and supporters of these parties were surveyed, the majority, more than 60%, were in favor of this reduction. It would be interesting to see how the leaderships explain what they have done.
Regarding the Catalan nationalist right (Junts), perhaps the main responsible for this mess, note that it lives in a parallel reality. It asks for things totally out of place (Catalan as a European language, its own Council of the Judiciary or independence). It does not care about Catalan workers or how to improve their living conditions. Internal voices are already being heard asking to return to sanity.
But the responsibilities do not end in the political sphere. The unions have not been up to the task. The working day, which was last debated 42 years ago, well deserved more union action at the corporate level and more mobilization in the street. Give it all, the occasion deserved it.
Nor has the employers' association shone brightly. It is understandable that it defends the interests of business, but parallel to a reduction in working hours, we must talk about productivity; fewer hours, but better worked. If the problem was in small businesses and the self-employed, it should be compensated in some way. The proposal to channel this reform through social dialogue (collective agreements) is a crude application of the Cartesian principle "divide and conquer". More empathy with other groups.
Once again, the disagreements between those who represent the great interests together with the lukewarmness of others, have prevented an important labor and social achievement. The positive reading is that the story has been won and society supports this change, which contributes to maintaining a hope for the future.