by HRHQ Editorial Team
The country’s largest public sector union, Fórsa, is calling for a four-day working week to be piloted in parts of the public and civil service.
Research, included in Fórsa Trade Union’s general election manifesto, shows pay increases, remote working, and housing are top priorities for its members. The research also showed 74 per cent of public service workers would vote for a political party or candidate committed to trialing a four-day work week.
On the issue of pay, the manifesto calls on the next government to negotiate and agree with trade unions a successor pay agreement, with increases in real terms that go beyond inflation, to follow the current public sector pay agreement which runs until 2026.
Aisling Cusack,Fórsa policy and research officer, said the findings of the study were not surprising.
“We asked people what they want, what they’re struggling with, what their challenges are and the cost of living has come back as the real challenge,”
“The public sector is, I suppose, a representation of society, so what we’re hearing from people all around the country, we’re going to hear from our members as well, because it’s an accurate reflection of the representation of the country.”
Advocates of a four-day working week believe it boosts productivity and wellbeing among employees.
In 2022, Belgium became the first European country to allow its citizens to request a four-day week from their employers.
