As union builders prioritise holding Labours feet to the fire over their existing commitments to 33 new workers’ rights, its important that we make the government understand we will always want more and UBI/4DW pilots are also on our agenda. Always have a claim on the table!
The notion of a UK standard four day working week has gained fresh impetus with the election of a new government. A second major trial is planned - run by the UK’s 4 Day Week Campaign and flexible working consultancy Timewise, and due to report in later 2025.
In this episode, Martin and Simon discuss why the idea was so strongly opposed by the outgoing Conservative government, and (spoiler alert) whether that stance was motivated more by antipathy to workers’organising to take more control over their working hours than any evidence base about the virtues (or otherwise) of a shorter working week.
Because let’s face it, when a quarter of the workforce can't get enough hours of work and want more because of low pay and broadly, a quarter of the workforce are working far too many hours and being overworked, we’ve got a problem and one that it is imperative we address. We mull over what that means in practice and why the prize for getting this right is wider, deeper and bigger than many may recognise.
But if the campaign for a 4 day working week is attracting a fair following wind, calls for a Universal Basic Income (UBI) are in far rougher waters.
We debate exactly how and why UBI is linked to four day working and argue that UBI can be a far more effective and beneficial form of state subsidised pay than the current benefits arrangements.
In fact, in moving to universal basic income, we would just be reflecting something that's happening with the current deployment of universal credit anyway, but giving more agency over what peopple spend. And while, in our view, UBI would make a huge difference to the lowest paid workers, it's hardly going to see them going out and booking flights to Vegas to splash their newfound wealth.
As you’d expect, we’ve also got our eyes on the inter-relationship between union organising to deliver both shorter working weeks and UBI, and the union building dividend that comes with both the campaign and what the campaign achieves.
We’re grateful to have the support of Thompsons, the leading trade union and social justice law firm, The General Federation of Trade Unions - delivering trade union education, building solidarity and the home of StrikeMap, Pellacraft, award winning and trusted supplier of promotional goods, and Battersea and Wandsworth Trade Union Council. Thank you all.
Organising For A Change is presented by Martin Smith and Simon Saper. Music is by Scott Holmes. It is a Makes-You-Think production. Contact the show at orgaising@makes-you-think.com. Episode run time 26m08s. This episode was recorded in April and first published on 19 July. Next episode drops 2 August19.