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Monday 10 September 2018

A four day week - but why stop at four?


The Daily Mail informs us that The TUC is pressing for a move towards a four day week. Not pushing for it on a full time basis presumably.

Britain should use new technology to move to a four-day working week while keeping wages stable, the TUC union has said.

Frances O'Grady, the union's general secretary, says companies will make more money from machines so should allow employees an extra day off each week.

She said the change should be brought in over the next 80 years after a survey found four out of five wanted to cut their working hours without loss of pay.


  
Ah - over the next 80 years - so not an immediate call to the picket lines. 

I’m reminded of a chap I knew decades ago who did no work at all. An old colleague and I sometimes reminisce about him while we are out on one of our regular walks. This chap used to  turn up for five days a week and he had an official position and job title, but didn’t actually do any work. It was a feat he managed by drifting from science into middle management followed by acquiring a cosy niche after yet another reorganisation.

As for the four day week, it suggests we already have too many people with too little to do and even the TUC has noticed. It won’t improve.

7 comments:

Sam Vega said...

I'm sure you remember all those predictions in the 1960s and 70s that we would soon be leading lives of leisure due to computers and robots. Clive Jenkins, the sibilant Trade Union leader, used to make much of this on his frequent media appearances. Yet my final years of work were very busy indeed, with long hours.

And isn't it funny how some people don't do much work, yet there always seems to be a lot of work waiting to be done? I think it's because people like jobs, rather than work.

Thud said...

I know they have to allegedly look out for their members but surely just a little economic competence would have helped here?

Sackerson said...

Bertrand Russell, "In Praise Of Idleness" - http://www.zpub.com/notes/idle.html

A K Haart said...

Sam - I do remember all those predictions in the 1960s and 70s. My final years were very busy too with long hours. As things became more complex and impossible, the work seemed to fall on fewer shoulders. Yet as you say, it was funny how some people still didn't do much work.

Thud - if we take a look at the leader of their political party we may as well assume that economic competence is well down their list of priorities.

Sackers - reminds me of Jerome K. Jerome too.



wiggiatlarge said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
wiggiatlarge said...

"This chap used to turn up for five days a week and he had an official position and job title, but didn’t actually do any work."

Fleet Street in the fifties was full of people who did little or no work such was the overmanning, and a union representative did bugger all other than slow the job down with some dubious working practice infringement as the reason and thereby getting overtime for even less work, wonderful days.

A K Haart said...

Wiggia - when he worked for a paper supplier my father saw something similar with print unions.