Four-day working week ‘possible’ with tech changes
Trade unions have called for four-day working weeks as they believe advances in technology have made reduced hours more feasible.
At an international conference on working time in Dublin, Fórsa trade union deputy general secretary Kevin Callinan said reduced working time is as one of the central issues in international debates about the future of work.
He said most of the benefits of increased productivity, achieved through workplace technological change, have gone to a small “global elite,” rather than workers.
“Trades unions don’t want to impede economic progress in a 21st century Luddite escapade,” he said.
“We know technology has the potential to take a lot of the drudgery and danger out of current workplace tasks, while increasing prosperity and creating many new jobs.
But we are determined to secure a fairer share of the benefits of economic growth and technological advances for all workers in all sectors of the economy, including through reduced working time.
He said it is almost 90 years since economist John Maynard Keynes predicted that productivity improvements would eventually lead to a 15-hour working week.
“His reasoning was straightforward enough. By producing more with less, our needs would be met through less work and there would be more time for leisure,” said Mr Callinan.
”Even Keynes could scarcely have conceived of the gains in productivity that have been achieved since he made his prediction, especially in recent decades.
"And yet the length of the working week has remained more or less the same.”
Work to live, don’t live to work. #workingtime #4dayweek pic.twitter.com/mqKvuPdM9n
— Fórsa trade union (@forsa_union_ie) November 22, 2018
Aidan Harper of the UK-based 4-Day Week Campaign told the conference international studies show no positive correlation between working hours and wealth.
“Countries who work fewer hours tend to have higher levels of productivity, as well as greater amounts of wealth per person,” he said.
“A reduction in working time is entirely feasible with current levels of technology and the benefits for society, gender equality, the economy and the environment can be significant.
"Time must become political once again.”
