The full commission of Málaga City Council has approved a motion for the shopping centres Plaza Mayor and McArthurGlen not to open until midnight without agreement with the workers. Only Vox voted against.
Málaga City Council has taken a step to halt the extension of night trading hours in the shopping centres Plaza Mayor and McArthurGlen. The relevant full commission approved on Wednesday a motion presented by Con Málaga that urges the management of both centres to "revoke the extension of trading hours until 00:00 while there is no agreement with the legal representation of the workers." The initiative passed with votes in favour from the PP, PSOE, and Con Málaga, while Vox voted against.
The deputy spokesperson for Con Málaga, Toni Morillas, defended the measure arguing that workers, mostly women, need to reconcile their work and family lives. "The workers are residents of Málaga who expect political representation to stand by them and tell them that they must comply with the law and that the profits of companies should not be at the expense of the workers," Morillas stated during the debate.
The councillor for Employment Promotion, María Paz Flores, from the PP, was initially critical of the motion, considering it interfered with social dialogue and collective bargaining. "The most solid agreements were not political," Flores asserted, who attempted to amend the agreements. However, as these were not accepted, the PP government team ultimately joined the initiative, supporting the workers' demands.
From the unions, the representative of Comisiones Obreras, Joseph Juan Curvelo, highlighted that women "already have a heavy workload that affects reconciliation" and that closing at midnight "will lead to longer and later shifts," forcing employees to pay for private transport to return home. For her part, Leonor Gálvez from UGT opposed the opening until midnight on the upcoming 30th of July and 27th of August, as it could set a "precedent with consequent harm to workers in the sector."
The deputy spokesperson for Vox, Yolanda Gómez, justified her vote against by arguing that it makes no sense for the City Council to impose hours on businesses. In contrast, socialist Lorena Doña called for the application of the Workers' Statute and common sense, positioning herself in favour of the initiative.
At the end of the debate, the workers thanked the majority support of the City Council, which backed their labour demands. The first agreement of the approved motion will come as a report to the full council this June, where it is expected to be ratified.
This decision comes amid growing concern over working conditions in the commercial sector, especially for women, who make up the majority of the workforce in these centres. Family reconciliation and the right to reasonable hours are the core of the union's demands.
Málaga City Council has made it clear that its aim is to protect workers and prevent the pursuit of greater corporate profits from undermining their rights. The approved motion is a first step, but the debate over night trading hours will continue in the coming months.
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