Palace prods private sector to study 4-day workweek

Malacañang urged private firms yesterday to study the feasibility of a four-day workweek, which will soon be implemented in national government agencies, as a way of participating in the government’s energy conservation campaign.

Palace communications director Silvestre Afable said it is up to the private companies to draw up their employees’ work schedules so that the scheme would help in the government’s efforts to save energy without affecting productivity.

"It would be up to the private sector to implement measures to help in energy conservation. We encourage them to pitch in," Afable said.

The government had earlier warned of a power crisis in the next two years if reforms were not implemented soon in the energy sector.

President Arroyo is also pushing for energy conservation to reduce the country’s dependence on expensive imported oil and promote energy independence.

As of now, Afable said, the President has not issued an executive order to implement the proposal of newly appointed Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla, wherein government workers would be required to work from Mondays to Thursdays only.

To compensate for the lost days, government employees would extend their working hours during the four work days. Vital national agencies and certain offices are not included in the scheme.

Afable said local government units are also expected to undertake similar measures to help in the energy conservation drive.

The Department of Energy did not say how much would be saved from the four-day work week scheme.