Civil servants work shorter hours

SINCE January 1 some 17'000 Balearic civil servants have been benefitting from a series of proposals contained in the Government's Conciliatory Plan which aims to fit working life around family life. One of the measures, which the Balearic Ministry of Public Administration considers fit to be applied to private companies, says that “after 6pm nobody should be in the office”. Balearic Government sources said that the working day, for various reasons, has become longer than is strictly necessary. For example, no meetings should be arranged for after 6pm. Whatever the problem, it should be resolved beforehand or, if it is not urgent, it should wait until the following morning. This measure will put the Public Administration on a level with countries around us whose working hours only exceed these limits in exceptional circumstances, said a source. The Plan was formulated by the Zapatero Government, who are in the middle of their term. The autonomous regions are also preparing proposals to reconcile working and family life. In the case of the Balearics these proposals will come from the Presidential Ministry, directed by Rosa Puig. In addition to cutting out unnecessary working hours, there are 8 more proposals already agreed with the unions.