THE bakers’ union vowed to ramp up its campaigning for a four-day working week at its annual conference today.

Delegates from the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) passed a motion calling for “a 30-hour maximum working week, based on a four-day week on five days’ pay — cutting hours, not pay, jobs or conditions.”

Scotland region’s Chris McGill said: “That measure would reduce drudgery, stress and ill-health and improve workers’ leisure time.”

Delegate Robbie Woodland from the Cornwall region said: “We need to push this, we need to push the TUC to support this and we need to take this fight further.

“We are not robots, we won’t bow down to the capitalists to work, work, work to make them profit.”

The TUC has called on the government to establish a new future of work commission made up of trade unions and other experts that sees “moving to a four-day week with no drop in living standards as an ambition for the 21st century.”

Four Day Week Foundation researcher Ashleigh Regan said: “It’s great to see BFAWU members backing our campaign for a four-day week with no loss of pay — joining a growing wave of unions leading active workplace campaigns.

“A century ago, unions fought tooth and nail to win us the weekend. We won’t win a four-day week for all without their support today.”

An amendment to the Employment Rights Bill put forward by Labour MP for Bootle Peter Dowd calls for the introduction of a working time council made up of representatives from trade unions, businesses, government departments and employment experts to “provide advice and make recommendations on how a transition could be made from a five-day working week to a four-day working week, with no impact on pay.”

Labour MP for Ribble Valley Maya Ellis said: "I fully support the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union in calling for a four-day week. Helping to create a better life for working families is so important to me, and I believe a shorter working week is one of the most powerful ways we can do that.

“A four-day week with no loss of pay is already proving to be a win-win for businesses, workers and society. It allows employees to share in the benefits of greater efficiency and automation, while giving them time back for childcare, caring responsibilities, volunteering, and personal well-being — all of which contribute to a stronger, healthier economy and society.

“This isn’t just about the social gains either. The evidence shows that four-day weeks can lead to higher productivity.

“I hope the government listens to working people and unions like BFAWU, and takes the bold steps needed to make the four-day week a reality."