Spanish bill to cut work week to 37.5 hours heads to parliament

The Navantia shipyard in Ferrol, north-west Spain (Bernat Armangue/AP)

Workers in Spain may soon have 2.5 more hours of weekly rest after the government approved a bill that would reduce the work week from 40 hours to 37.5 hours.

If enacted, the bill — which will now go to parliament — would benefit 12.5 million full-time and part-time private sector workers and is expected to improve productivity and reduce absenteeism, according to the Ministry of Labour.