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Rabat – The Moroccan Immigrant Workers Association is calling for Spain to reduce the working hours for Muslims during Ramadan.
The association is also calling on Spain to recognize Muslim holidays, including Eid Al Adha (eid of sacrifice), and Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan.
“Our first demand cannot be other than to request the application of Law 26/1992 as it affects the celebration of religious holidays,” the NGO said.
The NGO noted that the Spanish government and Musim representatives signed an agreement that emphasized that Muslims in the country have the right to enjoy reduction in working hours during Ramadan.
It described the measure as a “non alien” demand for the labor system in Spain, in “which the majority of public and private companies restrict their schedules during summer and holidays.”
The majority of Muslim countries, particularly the public sector, governments reduce working hours from eight to six hours during Ramadan.
In Morocco, the government adopts a continuous schedule from 9 a.m. to 15:00 p.m. during Ramadan to enable employees to leave work early to catch up with iftar rituals.
The country also suspends the daylight savings and goes back to GMT to avoid confusion during the holy month.
The measure differs in the private sector, however.
The fasting hours also differ from one country and continent to another.
Moroccans fast between 14 to 15 hours.
The Muslim community in Spain fast between 15 to 16 hours per day, making it one of the longest fasting periods worldwide.
