Union to push for four-day work week at economic roundtable
This initiative aims to ensure Australians gain from productivity improvements and technological advances, and say it's 'key to lifting living standards'.
Unions argue that a shorter working week is essential for improving employees' quality of life. They stress that such a reduction should not come with any loss of pay or conditions, with protections covering penalty rates, overtime, and minimum staffing levels.
For sectors where a four-day week is impractical, unions suggest alternatives such as increased rostered days off, extended annual leave, and redesigned rosters to improve predictability, security, and work-life balance.
Supporting their case, the ACTU cites recent peer-reviewed research published in Nature Human Behaviour showing the benefits of a four-day work week, which include boosted performance, reduced burnout, and enhanced employee health and retention. This study examined nearly 2,900 employees across organisations in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Canada, the UK, and the US.
Australian trials likewise support these findings. A 2023 study from Swinburne University involving ten Australian companies revealed that 70 per cent experienced higher productivity during four-day week trials, with the remaining firms maintaining previous productivity levels.
The ACTU further argued the nation's sluggish productivity growth, linking it to insufficient investment in capital, research, and people.
They cited research from Dr Jim Stanford's analysis from the Centre for Future Work, which shows a significant gap between productivity and wage growth. It found if wages kept pace with productivity since 2000, average earnings would be approximately 18 per cent higher or about $350 more per week.
The Productivity Commission's recent research notes that Australians are working record hours, but without the complementary business investment necessary to enhance efficiency.
ACTU president Michele O'Neil is pushing the dual benefit of shorter hours, stating, 'Shorter working hours are good for both workers and employers. They deliver improved productivity and allow working people to live happier, healthier and more balanced lives.'
Ms O'Neil emphasised the union's vision for fairness amid technological change: 'Unions want all Australians to benefit from higher productivity – not just those with money and power...'
'For workers in some sectors, shorter working hours can be delivered through moving to a four-day work week. For other people, this could be achieved through other ways, such as more time off or fairer rosters. A fair go in the age of AI should be about lifting everyone's living standards instead of just boosting corporate profits and executive bonuses.'
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