Backward Spain

One normally hears of Spain having to catch up with the rest of Europe. Now Spain’s MPs are to debate putting it one hour back. In 1942, the Spanish autocrat General Franco aligned his country’s clocks with those of National Socialist Germany and Central European Time.

A parliamentary report has suggested that in practical terms Spain has been out of sync ever since. Aligning the clocks with those of Portugal and the UK would give Spaniards an hour’s extra sleep. As a consequence productivity would increase, absenteeism would decline.

Changing the clocks won't change a mindset. Just my humble opinion.

I've read about this and I'm baffled as to how they think this would be beneficial to productivity. As Roberto says, you can't change a mindset. Would changing the clock stop them from splitting the working day into three sections? Would they stop eating dinner at 10pm? Would this mean the end of the siesta? I can only see everything being the same but it'll be dark at 9pm in summer rather than 10pm and that would be worse. Spain is in line with Greenwich but much further south so summer days are a bit shorter and winter days are a bit longer than in the UK and I don't see a problem with it.

Spain needs to change it's working hours if it wants to make life better for everyone. Working more nine to fives means less time wasted going to and from work, less money spent doing so and more time to spend with the family.

I have worked with many large companies throughout Spain and the siesta has long gone. These companies now work similar hours to other countries and a quick snack for lunch or a visit to the work canteen is the norm. The same can be said about long lunches in France and Italy

Yes some govt depts., schools and rural towns still have the siesta but it is changing. High schools for example star at 8am and finish at 2pm some primary schools are also opting for this timetable

How many large supermarkets close for siesta or large dept stores? Emergency services do not close for siesta.

Eating dinner at 9 or 10pm is often due to the weather and not Siesta

The reason for changing the clocks has nothing to do with work patterns

There seems to be a few people who like having a go at the Spanish and the culture or way of life – if you do not like it then why are you here or just accept it and do want you want to do.

Why should they adopt foreigners culture?

Many people complain about foreigners changing the culture UK – guess what you are doing!!!!!

Tadd

It really irks me when people say 'If you don't like it here, why are you even here'. Can't you try to be a bit more original with your comments? Do you think it's the ex-pats who are asking for the hour to be changed because they don't like the Spanish culture? The people who are behind this idea are Spanish and they are hoping to make Spain a more competitive country. You must remember that Spain is an EU member state trading in the Euro currency and it has a responsibility to modernise itself and become more productive, and this is not about becoming more like the UK, it's about making Spain a better and more prosperous country.

You say that the clocks changing has nothing to do with work patterns but the main reason for changing the hour is because they say productivity in Spain is very low because workers are tired.  So what is the reason for wanting to change the hour if it's not about work?

Also, many companies do work nine to five type hours but if you go to any town or city you will see that most shops clse at midday, as do opticians, hairdressers, dentists, post offices and council offices along with many people who work outdoors.

Fartharder if it irks you - your problem not mine get over it.

Yes many shops etc. as you say do close – that is their choice and part of their tradition and choice.  Factories and major industries do not close in the afternoon. Some say it is good some say it is bad and this could be debated for many a day without resolution

Too many expats think that they are right and Spain is wrong and they probably know diddly squat about anything.  Classic examples of this are the heading of this thread and the other thread Spain Sucks

Spain like many other countries have fell on bad times but it will get better. They have managed before EU and expats

The changing of the clock may or may or may not help and that can be debated for many a day

Too many expats really believe that they are doing Spain (people and economy) a favour by being here!!!! What a joke

Very well put Tadd66

Some expats think they are the new missionaries and know what is best for the Spanish people

Quite frankly we, by which I include all northern Europeans, are doing Spain a bloody great favour. I doubt there is a Spaniard within 70 kilometre of the country’s Mediterranean coast who does not benefit from European alms and income from tourist and resident Northern Europeans. I am not aware of any other country in Europe being as insular. More lately, aggressive towards the European family of nations. There is an underlying dislike for non-Spaniards. Yes, live with it . . . If you accept your face being slapped time after time.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2436528/Spanish-school-cause-outrage-staging-invasion-Gibraltar-showing-British-people-shot-machine-guns.html

As FH has pointed out, it's not "us" (expats) making the news, we're merely commenting on it because naturally as expats we're interested in what's in current affairs here.

There's an interesting point of view expressed by a Spanish tax consultant in this week's Sur in English - I can't reproduce it here but it can be read on page 9 of the pdf version here http://services.surinenglish.com/virtual/20130927/

He argues for making Spain more attractive to foreigners, specifically from a tax point of view, because (in his opinion) Spain needs foreigners like never before.

I doubt if his argument will be heard by those in power though.

From the ‘sun time’ point of view, Spain and UK are in the time zone, so  that means that Spain should be on the same time as UK. 

At present Spain is in effect on British Summer Time in the winter and double BST in the summer.  This means Spain artificially has an hour longer daylight in the evening in winter, and two hours in the summer.  

I personally prefer the way it is, but each to their own.

I also like the time zone Spain is currently in.

Although Spain is in the same time zone as the UK, it is further south which means that summer days here are shorter than in the UK but winter days are longer. If Spain moved the clocks back, on the longest day of the year the sun would set at 8.35pm rather than 9.35pm (the same as the UK) and that seems very early to me.