Spain Planning Switch To GMT

Spain Planning Switch To GMT – the government would like to replace the current “Nazi Time Zone”

The Spanish government is studying the impact of moving the nation’s time zone back an hour, to bring it in line with Greenwich Mean Time. It is felt that this move would make it easier for workers to start earlier in the morning.

Nazi Time Zone

General Franco moved Spain onto Central European Time during World War 2, as a show of allegiance to Adolf Hitler’s Germany. Spain is the farthest west of all countries on central European time.

Cultural and Practical Impact

José Luis Casero, president of the National Commission for the Rationalisation of Spanish Schedules, welcomed the government’s move to strike at “the heart of the question of Spain’s late-hours culture in which prime time on the television runs from 10pm to midnight”.

He said that “the change should take place in March 2017 or 2018 when Spain would simultaneously comply with the European directive in putting clocks forward an hour and repeal Franco’s decree, with the net result that Spain would be on BST instead of Central European Summer Time. There would be no disruption or confusion for citizens under this route map.”

Working Day In Spain

Only 16% of Spaniards take a daily siesta

Ms Báñez from the conservative Popular Party said she also would like to strike a deal with employers and unions so that “the typical working day in Spain ends at 6pm”. She said that telecommuting and flexitime could help employees achieve a better work-family balance.

The Spanish work day typically runs from 9am to 2pm, with an extended lunch before resuming work at 4pm and continuing until 8pm. Currently only 16% of Spaniards actually take a siesta during the long break.

Written by Dave James

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