CCOO union pushes for 35-hour work week in Cuenca municipalities

The CCOO union is calling on local governments in the province of Cuenca, Spain, to negotiate and implement a 35-hour work week. The union's representatives are submitting formal requests to local administrations that have not yet adopted this schedule, as well as seeking to ensure it is formally included in collective agreements where it already exists. More than 4,000 public employees in the region could benefit from this reduction.

While several municipalities such as Cuenca, Tarancón, and Motilla del Palancar have already implemented the 35-hour week, others like El Provencio and Belmonte still maintain 37.5-hour schedules in their agreements. CCOO maintains that following recent agreements within the General State Administration, there is no longer a legal doubt regarding the implementation of these hours in local entities.

On a broader national level, CCOO Secretary General Unai Sordo has indicated that a legal reduction of the standard work week to 37.5 hours may be unlikely during the current legislature due to a lack of parliamentary majority. Consequently, the union is shifting its focus toward collective bargaining and wage improvements, particularly in sectors characterized by precariousness and higher female employment, such as hospitality and domestic work, where hours often remain near the 40-hour legal limit.