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Workers' Union Believes We Should Have A Four Day Working Week

Workers' Union Believes We Should Have A Four Day Working Week

Workers have experienced the longest pay squeeze in 200 years, but the TUC are calling for a shorter working week and higher pay.

Mark Cunliffe

Mark Cunliffe

In a reaction to the growth of technology in the office a union is calling for a four day working week and for workers to be paid more.

We think this is something we could definitely get behind. Workers in the UK currently have the third longest working hours in Europe, behind Austria and Greece - and build up £31 billion worth of unpaid overtime a year.

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The TUC (Trades Union Congress) believes that the increase of robotics and artificial intelligence should pave the way for improved working conditions, rather than making workers scared of job cuts.

Two of the main improvements the TUC are calling for include a reduced working week and higher wages, The Mirror reports.

They believe technology should support staff that are trying to juggle high pressure schedules to boost morale and productivity.

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Around 5 million people work seven hours a week without pay, and two-in-five claim their bosses pressure them into it.

The amount of people working seven days a week has also rose to over 1.4million.

Publishers, teachers and healthcare workers were at the top of the list of those workers who did unpaid overtime.

The TUC said employers and the Government need to collaborate to make the growth in technology a positive move for workers.

PA

The union said that many employers expect their employees to work unpredictable or unsociable hours, or even keep them on standby out of hours which makes it harder to strike a work life balance.

TUC general secretary, Frances O'Grady said: "Workers are having a hard time. They've suffered the longest pay squeeze in 200 years. Millions of people are stuck in insecure jobs and stressed out. And too many employers are using tech to treat workers unfairly.

"Bosses and shareholders must not be allowed to hoover up all the gains from new tech for themselves. Working people deserve their fair share - and that means using the gains from new tech to raise pay and allow more time with their families.

"When the TUC's first Congress took place 150 years ago, people worked ten hours a day with only Sunday off. But in the last century we won a two-day weekend and limits on long hours. This century, we must raise our sights to reduce working time again."

The TUC's report claims that 74 percent of workers would be happy to have new technologies help out and gain a better work/life balance, while eight out of ten said they'd like to reduce their hours.

At the moment in the UK laws dictate that people should not work more than 48 hours a week, but it's possible to opt out of this and work more. Workers are also entitled to 11 hours consecutive rest in a 24-hour period and one day off a week.

Featured Image Credit: Pexels

Topics: Life News, Real Life