Jordan Pettitt/ PA
In a move that could revolutionise the way Britons earn a crust, Angela Rayner has opened the door to four-day working weeks across the board, after removing government opposition to proposals made by South Cambridgeshire Council.
ALSO READ: Four-day week made permanent by most UK companies taking part in biggest trial ever
The local authority had previously championed the shift to a four-day working week. However, they were compelled to provide an assessment on how this move would affect productivity and greater working practices. This requirement, however, has now been scrapped.
The four-day working week in exchange for five days’ pay is seen a major step forward in the bid to strengthen workers rights, allowing for greater flexibility and efficiency for staff. However, opponents to the policy see it as a threat to workplace output.
Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, also serves as the Local Government Secretary. In her capacity, she has decided that independent employers are ‘rightly responsible’ for deciding how to manage their own employees – including what days and times they must work.
“Although it is not government policy to support a general move to a four-day working week for five days’ worth of pay, we recognise that local authorities are independent employers who are rightly responsible for the management and organisation of their own workforces.” | Labour
Earlier this week, London’s tube drivers called off a set of November strikes, after they were offered a better pay deal AND a four-day working week. The ASLEF union now has until January 2025 to outline how exactly they would implement these timetables.
Again, this move has drawn criticism, at a time where the Labour Government is being accused of ‘making life difficult’ for certain businesses. Specific, one-off tax rises in last week’s Budget have not been universally well-received – and another fierce debate is now brewing.
