The reduction of the workdaydebated again in Uruguay and the issue can become central in the middle of the campaign in view of the elections 2024, with the presidential candidates of the different political parties taking a stand in the debate.
The government did not close the door to the eventual modification of the current modality of job, although they consider that the key to advancing a measure of this type is that the changes are tied to the productivity and the wages.
In the country there is a bill presented by the senator Daniel Caggiani (Broad Front), which proposes gradually reducing the current 48-hour day to one of 40 hours in four years. Given this possibility, it is worth asking: how did the countries that advanced in its implementation fare?
France, the pioneer country
France He is one of the pioneers in reducing the workload. Already in 1936, it adopted a 40-hour weekly system, while in 2022, after years of debate, a 35-hour work week began to govern, with disparate effects.
Beyond the current norm, the different governments of that country adopted successive measures to grant flexibility to companies, so that workers could carry out extra hours, an issue that is commonplace today in the European country.
Outside of the French case, most European countries have by law an agreement of 40 hours per week, although with agreements below that figure. In many of them, such as United Kingdom, Portugal and Belgium, Even experiences with a four-day work week are advancing.
Iceland’s successful “experiment”
In the case of Iceland, A pilot test was carried out between 2015 and 2019, reducing the weekly workload from 40 to 35 hours for 2,500 employees of the national government and the Reykjavik City Hall, the capital.
Once the “experiment” was over, the authorities considered that it was successful and improved the productivity, without salary reduction, so that rule applied to the majority of the population.
What is happening in the region?
In the region, Ecuador He was one of the first to establish 40 hours of work per week. Colombia, Meanwhile, it is in the process of reducing its working hours, with a gradual decrease. As of July 15, 2023, it went from 48 hours to 47, while that same day this year it will remain at 46 hours, in a process that will culminate in 2026. Something similar happens in Chili, where on the 26th of this month the weekly workload will go from 45 to 44 hours, with the aim of remaining at 40 hours in 2028.
Meanwhile, in Brazil A bill was passed allowing a four-day work day, while in Argentina There are several initiatives by unions and opposition leaders in this regard, although the labor reform promoted by the government of Javier Milei would not contemplate measures in that sense.
Finally, when compared to North America, both USA as Canada They have a weekly workload of 40 hours, while in Mexico is trying to reduce to that range, from the current 48 hours.
Source: Ambito
