Labor group opposes 4-day workweek

CEBU, Philippines — The Partido Manggagawa has described the proposed compressed workweek as a “scheme to overwork and underpay” the employees.

Dennis Derige, PM-Cebu spokesperson, said legislating compressed workweek will lead to derogation if not destruction of the historic eight-hour workday.

Derige said that instead of lengthening the working day, it should be shortened without diminution of pay for workers as compressed workweek will lead to health and safety issues.

"Workers need a break, we are not robots. No to compressed work, yes to 8-hour law. Compressed workweek is hazardous to our health," Derige said.

He said that laboring for 12 hours a day is a recipe for killing workers through overwork and stress.

He said that millions of workers already work 12 hours a day because they avail of overtime as a way of augmenting their meager daily wages which are not enough to sustain their families.

"The compressed workweek will legalize this epidemic of overwork but worsen it by taking away overtime pay. The compressed workweek is a ploy to cheapen salaries, similar to the regionalization of wages," said Derige.

He said that in exceptional cases where workers find that flexible work arrangements like flexi-time or compressed workweek is advantageous to them, there are already rules that allow for that on the condition that workers are consulted and agree to it.

"These must remain exceptions to the rule and the norm should be that the workday is eight hours and work beyond must be paid overtime,” Derige said.

The Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development chaired by Senator Joel Villanueva tackled on Wednesday the proposed measure which seeks to amend the 40-year-old Labor Code.

The Committee discussed Senate Bill No. 1571 or An Act Amending Article 83 of the Labor Code espousing alternative working arrangements.

 Under the bill, employers and employees are given an option to implement any type of flexible working arrangement such as compressed workweek, flexi-time, and flexi holidays schedule.

Villanueva said that the Senate's version of the proposed measure is different from the House bill which concentrated solely on the compressed workweek. (FREEMAN)