By Kevin Fraser Park • Published: 05 Mar 2024 • 15:43
Late night opening hours in Spain Photo: Shutterstock / Palephotography
Minister of Employment, Yolanda Díaz, said that she does not consider it “reasonable” that restaurants in Spain should be open until 1am. In an intervention in Congress, Diaz ignited a debate when she advocated limiting the opening hours of the hotel and catering industry instead of extending them,
“It is unreasonable for a country to have its restaurants open at one o’clock in the morning,” said Díaz, who highlighted the differences in the opening hours of the hotel and catering industry between Spain and the rest of Europe. “It is madness to try to keep extending opening hours until we don’t know what time”, she added.
Diaz said this was an example of the need, in her opinion, to rationalise opening times in Spain. “We need to open a major social debate”, said Díaz, who urged the government to go beyond the reduction in working hours that it has promised to undertake over the course of the term of office.
Díaz went on to say that the reduction in working hours must be accompanied by other measures to facilitate work-life balance. “It is unreasonable for meetings to be called at 8pm in the evening,” she said, adding that her department has set up a working group made up of 60 experts to tackle the issue.
However, the president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, a great advocate of flexible opening hours in the restaurant industry, said, “Spain has the best nightlife in the world, with streets full of life and that also provides employment”.
‘España de Noche’ (Spain by Night), the employers’ association for leisure and night-time entertainment, also rejects the approach of the government. In a statement, a spokesperson said that limiting the opening hours of the hotel and catering industry would be “a shot in the foot” that would only benefit Spain’s competitors in the tourist market.
España de Noche argues that, it makes no sense to focus on the hotel and catering industry without taking an in-depth look at of Spanish society, “the debate on Spanish opening hours must also take into account working hours, prime time television and shopping centre opening hours”, they said.
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Kevin was born in Scotland and worked in marketing, running his own businesses in UK, Italy and, for the last 8 years, here in Spain. He moved to the Costa del Sol in 2016 working initially in real estate. He has a passion for literature and particularly the English language which is how he got into writing.
A VERY stupid idea i think, i have lived in Spain for nealry 31 years and this is the way Spain works….. if its aint broken…. dont fix it……. 🤷♂️🤦♀️
I have seen a comment methinks true. Diaz is involved in the covid masks scandal and this makes a good diversion for her.
The last thing Spain needs is another dictator! Restaurants won’t stay open past the time it is profitable for them to do so, it’s self-regulating! Absolutely ridiculous trying to force a curfew on citizens, especially as the forced ones during the pandemic are still so fresh in people’s minds.
Spain needs a good war with someone to become ‘re-centered’.
It is “unreasonable” to think government should be allowed to control the opening hours of businesses regardless of what type they may be. Spain has done this forever and no one has been harmed by it! Viv Espana and its culture!
Yolanda, such changes to tradition will only bring you down to the levels of being a UK minister. Don’t go down that route,, you wouldn’t like it. 😉 Viva España de Noche!
This should be up to the individual businesses to decide what time they open and close, they know their business more than a thick politician.
I can understand that she wants to protect employees in hospitality from being forced to work longer and less healthy hours but it is employment legislation that should be altered not just one sector of employment.
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