Union to push ahead with plans for a 35-hour week

Balearic representatives for the UGT, General Workers Union, yesterday announced that the union plans to push ahead with demands for a 35-hour week in the sectors which have witnessed a high number of accidents. The move, which is being followed by various other unions, is aimed at improving safety and working conditions for employees. The UGT will also be pushing for a reduction in the number of part time contracts offered by employers and this morning, the union will start collecting the 500'000 signatures required before the proposal can be submitted to central government. However, UGT sources in Palma said yesterday that the union is confident that popular support for the initiative is so high that it is aiming for between 800'000 and one million signatures across the country. The union has six months to gather all the public support it needs.