How about working four days a week?
MBABANE – The 2023 Labour Seminar will see delegates discussing the possibilities of working four days in Eswatini.
This is one of the topics that will be discussed during the 2023 Labour Law Seminar to be hosted by the Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration Commission (CMAC).
The seminar will be held tomorrow at the Happy Valley Hotel in Ezulwini.
The theme of the seminar is: ‘Changes in the labour market post COVID-19’.
CMAC Executive Director Dr Lomkhosi Magagula, during a press conference yesterday, noted that the seminar would focus on the current realities, research results and reflections on the workplace practices, with a future outlook and considerations for policy making, practical application and broader economic impact.
The seminar will bring together international speakers, social partners, labour employers, and employment relations specialists.
Participate
Also to participate will be judges and attorneys, human resources practitioners, union officials and shop stewards, employer and employee organisations.
They are expected to gain insight on the changes that have taken place in the labour market post COVID-19.
She also mentioned three topics that would be discussed during the seminar. One of the topics, she said would be ‘Flexibility in Employment Contracts: Protecting Jobs, Enhancing Flexibility: Lessons for Eswatini’.
This topic would be led by the Labour Commissioner Mthunzi Shabangu.
Under this topic, stakeholders will address challenges of working within post COVID-19 in the workplace.
There will be a discussion on the possibilities of changing work contracts in response to the changes brought by COVID-19.
Under the changing of contracts, stakeholders will look at the possibilities of having four working days, than the standard five days and if it would be practical for Eswatini.
The four-day-work week concept has been reignited by COVID-19, with workers and employers rethinking the importance of workplace flexibility and benefits.
The conversations that have been going around about the four-day-work rule were that workers would work four days in a week, while getting paid the same earning, deriving the same benefits, but with the same workload.
Explored
Reducing the work-week means companies will, therefore, operate with fewer meetings and more independent work. One country that has explored this was Belgium.
Employees won the right to perform a full work-week in four days instead of the usual five, without loss of salary.
The four-day work does not mean employees will work less, but they would compress the hours. In the United Kingdom, over 100 companies explored the concept.
In South Africa, some companies started piloting the four-day-work.
The pilot will run for six months starting this month. Tomorrow, stakeholders will weighin on whether the concept is applicable in Eswatini.
Further, the director added that by yesterday 139 seats had been reserved.
Urged
She urged the nation at large to partake in the seminar by booking their seats, which were going for E3 500.
She added that there was a special offer for students.
“Students can book a table for E1 950,” she said.
Meanwhile CMAC Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Thembinkosi Dlamini stated that the packages would include a number of reading material that is useful for their stakeholders.
“Each delegate will be given a bag pack with upmarket material including pieces of legislations,” he said.