Dear Editor
For decades Unions and Associations of working people have struggled to reduce working hours: the employers have always resisted.
It has taken many generations to get the working week reduced from seven days to five days and from having to work unlimited hours reduced to a forty hours week.
As time went on, new technology produced a greater output: this, coupled with worker pressure, helped to gain justice. Again, it was not a change of heart by the employer.
Today’s technology has vastly raised output needing a highly regulated distribution service. Also, employers in increasing numbers are operating different forms of employment: zero hours contracts, split duties spread over seven days and sometimes ‘flexible’ hours – all these schemes are designed to have a workforce available to suit the employer. It costs them less, saving on pension schemes, sick pay benefit and no security of employment.
Unions and Workers Associations have to urgently rethink their ideas on working hours and conditions. As new technology is and will be developed, we must ensure the value created by them is used to benefit all people in whatever way they want it, not simply tomake the very wealthy even more so.
A. Delahoy, Silverknowes Gardens
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