Together leads the Spanish government to its first defeat: it maintains its 'no' vote on reducing working hours.

BarcelonaTwo days before the debate in Congress on the reduction of working hours, Junts remains in the No and continues to defend its comprehensive amendment to the flagship bill of Second Vice President and Minister of Labor Yolanda Díaz. Therefore, if nothing changes in negotiations that are expected to drag on until the last gasp this Wednesday, before the voting button is pressed, the Junts members are heading Pedro Sánchez's government toward its first defeat of the political year after the summer strike, in an issue that is particularly sensitive for Sumar. This was confirmed this Monday by Junts spokesperson Josep Rius, who was clear before repeating the string of arguments against the measure of moving to a general 37.5-hour week: "We are back where we were, and if there is any news, we will let you know," he said.

In a press conference, Rius even accused Sumar of having "made a mistake in the spokespersons' meeting that has led to the need to negotiate quickly." This has meant that the vote on the entire bill will be held this week rather than later, allowing for greater room for negotiation. The regional leader sought to clarify that his party wants "people to have more time for family life and leisure time, but not at the cost of losing jobs and closing businesses," and that, at this point, the Ministry of Labor has not presented them with "any proposal that could include salary increases without jeopardizing the future of companies." He also sought to clarify the alleged direct negotiations between Díaz and the former president of the Generalitat and regional leader, Carles Puigdemont, describing them as mere "occasional messages," since "the negotiations are being conducted by the team in Madrid." The Spanish minister had assured La Sexta that she was maintaining a direct line with the former president to address the issue: "Yes, I am speaking with Puigdemont, and I'm not lying," she went so far as to say.

Likewise, Díaz urged caution when predicting the final outcome of the vote on this matter and has not yet taken defeat for granted: "They didn't reveal their vote. I don't know if it will be accepted. What Juntos is saying is that they haven't revealed their vote," she insisted. It is true that Rius has not discussed the direction of the vote nor explained any breakdown in the talks—which are ongoing—but he has maintained the overall amendment that the Junts group registered last May. "I have not anticipated the position at all; I wanted to confirm different things about how we always negotiate," the spokesperson for Puigdemont's party explained.

The race against time means Díaz is not throwing in the towel, arguing among herself that "the citizens want this measure." Nor has she been particularly negative about the possibility that Junts inflicts this umpteenth parliamentary debacle on the Spanish executive, which depends on the votes of the pro-independence parties. "I will continue working the next day," he said, although he reiterated that if the vote is lost, the ones who lose the most are "the working people of this country," with a warning: "The citizens know how each party is voting."

Counterargument

Although Junts continues to negotiate, and even Díaz and Puigdemont have exchanged messages on the matter, the reluctance remains. Therefore, Rius was blunt when he reiterated the reasons why they oppose the measure: "There is a risk with reducing the working day: that by trying to reduce it, many workers could go from 40 hours to zero, which could lead to the closure of many companies." The members emphasize that small and medium-sized businesses are "the bulk of Catalonia's productive fabric" and that it is necessary to adapt to "Catalonia's unique characteristics." This is due, among other things, to the compensation the party is demanding, but also to the realization that a measure such as reducing working hours should be applied sectorally, depending on their specific circumstances.

PSOE spokesperson Montse Mínguez expressed a similar opinion, stressing that "it will not be a defeat for the government" if it does not go ahead: "The parties that oppose this measure will have to explain it," she concluded, adding that "an attempt will be made." Comuns (Junts) also joined the pressure on Junts, but took a harsher tone: its spokesperson, Aina Vidal, called on the Junts members to withdraw their amendment in its entirety, arguing that preventing it from passing Wednesday's procedure to enter into debate in Congress would be "a slap in the face to the public debate and to the government itself."