ABOLISHMENT OF 6 DAY WORKING WEEK 

Who is affected 

Every person who is in working age. Governments expect us to work more years before retirement age; therefore we should not be expected to work longer hours and longer weeks too.

 

It especially affects vulnerable groups such as disabled workers. To expect a disabled person to work 6 days per week is unacceptable. Disabled workers are more likely to suffer from mental health issues and they definitely require more hospital appointments than a person without disability does. I'm speaking from experience, as I am a disabled person living in The Republic of Cyprus.

Latest statistics, as published by the Cypriot press, show Cypriots are amongst the most dissatisfied workers in the EU. I wonder why.

 

Also new couples who want to start a family or couples who want to have more children. How can anyone expect a mother to bring up children, do house chores as well as have time for herself when she works 6 days a week? No wonder why some countries experience negative birth rates.

 

At this day and age when there is talk of AI taking over jobs that people can do, why force people to work longer?

 

What is at stake 

Governments around the world will claim it will affect economy negatively; however I disagree completely.

 

Let's take the example of Greece who only introduced a 6 day working week last year. Greece is well known for allowing tax evasion and had to be bailed out by the EU a few years ago.

Cyprus is another example. It introduced a 6 day working week when it became a full EU member. Cyprus also had to be bailed out by the EU.

What I'm trying to say here is that countries who use the 6 day working week are usually more corrupt than countries who don't.

 

The solution to the problem is more transparent governments who are not afraid to collect taxes from big businesses, and are not afraid to invest in technology that will assist in growing a country's economy. People should not be punished for being unfortunate enough to live in these countries. 

It's these countries that need to be forced by the UN to find other ways of bettering their economies.

Nothing negatively will occur from enforcing a 5 day working week. 

It will actually help vulnerable groups, especially in corrupted countries like Greece and Cyprus.

UN needs to realise it's usually the poorer countries that adopt this rule. A 6 day working week is unheard of, in Scandinavian countries for example.

 

Why is now the time to act

AI can take over jobs that people do. Therefore more technology is needed, not more working hours from humans. We now have the technology to re-enforce a 5 day working week.

 

Everybody goes on about global warming but nobody talks about people working 6 days per week in hot countries such as Greece and Cyprus.

Cyprus has had a particularly hot Summer in 2024. Between June and August we had temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius. Usually these temperatures are expected for the months of July and August only. Last year we had an extra month of unbearable temperatures.

 

The UN needs to realise that people cannot possibly work 6 days per week in these temperatures.

Re-enforcing a 5 day working week will help people cope at work until we find ways of combating global warming. Otherwise UN is having its cake and eat it. Talking about global warming but doing nothing about the people who constantly work in these inhuman conditions.

 

Regards

 

 

Marios Christodoulou