La Victoria de Acentejo Faces Union Dispute Over 35-Hour Workweek Refusal

Human resources management at the La Victoria de Acentejo City Council is under fire following complaints from the CCOO union. The union claims the local government is still enforcing a 37.5-hour workweek, putting it out of step with almost all other local and regional administrations in the Canary Islands, which have already moved to a 35-hour week.

The dispute escalated after the annual calendar was signed on March 27—the same day the central government approved regulations allowing for the shorter workweek. The administration, led by Mayor Juan Antonio García Abreu, has declined to comment, a silence that has drawn sharp criticism from union representatives.

Negotiations have reached a breaking point, with the CCOO alleging that union delegates have faced pressure, causing talks to collapse. The union had proposed a gradual transition to a 35-hour week to help the council adjust its services, but the proposal was rejected.

Beyond the workweek issue, the union has raised concerns about other administrative practices. They argue that salary deductions for temporary disability have been applied unfairly and inconsistently since the repeal of Decree Law 20/2012. The union warns that if these practices—which they claim violate collective bargaining agreements and treat civil servants and contract staff differently—are not corrected, they will launch a formal collective dispute.

This leaves La Victoria de Acentejo as an outlier. While municipalities like Santa Cruz de Tenerife, La Laguna, Puerto de la Cruz, Arona, and La Orotava have already adopted the 35-hour week, this northern town remains on the older schedule. Resolving this conflict is critical, as the City Council is currently working on a major internal reorganization, including a new job evaluation and staffing list, which are essential for long-term labor stability and public service efficiency.