The four-day working week is debated in Germany and Spain

In Germany, the powerful metal and car industry union IG Metall has revived the debate on the four-day week. The Minister of Labor supports the union’s demand, to the chagrin of employers. The management of IG Metall says it is worried about the consequences on the labor market of the ecological transition. The development of electric cars, technologically much simpler than combustion engine vehicles, could result in tens of thousands of job losses, according to some estimates. At the same time, the polls are unanimous: Germans, especially young people, want to work less. Some 81% of employees say they are in favor of the four-day week, without loss of pay.

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The Spanish government, for its part, has offered companies aid of up to 150,000 euros for the implementation of the four-day week, in exchange for a two-year commitment and a guarantee that a number minimum number of employees are concerned in the company. Some 41 companies only submitted a file. And to respond to requests for subsidies, the government only had to release 2.8 million euros out of a total of almost 10 million that it was ready to disburse. A total of 503 Spanish employees benefit from this pilot project to reduce working hours without loss of pay.