A campaign to introduce a four-day working week into Ireland has been launched by a coalition of businesspeople, trade unions and workers.
The proposed scheme, named 4-Day Week Ireland, follows a pledge by the Labour Party in the UK to introduce a four-day working week with no loss of pay.
The system has already worked successfully in various companies around the world.
Businesspeople behind the 4-Day Week Ireland include Andrew Barnes, founder of New Zealand company Perpetual Guardian, where the four-day working week has been operating successfully since March 2018.
CEO of Galway company ICE, Margaret Cox, also attended the launch of the campaign. Her company introduced the four-day working week earlier this year.
The idea behind the four-day week is that employees would have more time to deal with any issues in their home lives and be in better physical and mental condition thanks to the extra rest and relaxation.
They would then be more productive during their working hours and be able to complete an equal amount of work than they would otherwise do in the five-day working week.
Some of the groups in support of the campaign include Fórsa Trade Union, the National Women’s Council of Ireland and Friends of the Earth Ireland.
Joe O’Connor is the Director of Campaigning for Fórsa Trade Union. He tweeted:
Tomorrow we in @forsa_union_ie @NWCI @foeireland @ICE_Jobs @4dayweek_global launch the Four Day Week Ireland campaign, in @RIAdawson from 10.30am. Please share widely. #4DayWeek #Better4Everyone @irishcongress pic.twitter.com/JIywKLqlrd
— Joe O'Connor (@Jocser99) September 25, 2019
