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What are Labour’s plans on working hours?
LAURA PIDCOCK explains how the party will help create a better work-life balance for all
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SURPRISE, surprise, our working time policies are being misrepresented. Obviously, sometimes people use shorthand, but no, Labour is not pledging a four-day week, and at no point in our manifesto do we advocate for one.
So let’s break this down. Over the next 10 years, through the impact of several policies, we will encourage a reduction in working hours across the economy until the average is 32 a week. What we are not doing is imposing a 32-hour week, much less a four-day week.
First, we will stop employers from making workers sign away their right to work 48 hours a week or less.
Why? Because a person who works the legal maximum of six days a week on 48 hours already spends almost as many waking hours with their employer as their own family, friends or just relaxing.
A person working 60 hours (which 25 per cent of teachers report doing) spends more time working than relaxing or spending time with family and friends.
Labour believes you should work to live, not live to work. The 48-hour week that we do plan to impose would mean spending eight more hours a week with family and friends than at work. Does that really sound radical?
Now, how do we get from our current average working time of 37 hours a week to 32 by 2030?
We’ll set up an independent commission to look into this question to make sure we get it right, but we’ll also task employers and workers to look at how they can reduce average working time in their industries.
One important challenge we’re definitely going to face in that decade is increased automation.
It’s simply a fact that more work will be done more cheaply through the use of technology.
We believe everyone should feel the benefits of this, so instead of employers sacking workers and replacing them with robots, we’ll encourage them to look at how working hours can be cut.
Now, I know what you’re thinking — won’t I get paid less? No. In the next 10 years, as we reduce working hours, we’ll be increasing pay and reducing housing costs, and we’ll be monitoring progress throughout.
Laura Pidcock is Labour’s shadow secretary of state for employment rights.
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