When less leads to more work

MANY of our people have great difficulty making ends meet. I am a retired civil engineer. I have lived through a number of recessions but nothing like the present one.

I remember a little of our emergency up to 1945 and a little of the rationing we had that time.

Our present situation is like an emergency. Apart from money, the major item the country is short of is employment. It occurs to me that if employment was rationed, everybody could have enough. About 85.7% of the workforce is employed and most workers work a 5-day week.

If workers (and their employers) could be persuaded to work a 4.5 day week a lot of employment would become available. Thus, if 9 workers (on the same grade) working a 5-day week could be persuaded to work a 4.5 day week, enough work would become available to produce one more 4.5 day week job — ie nine times the surrendered half day.

This could apply to engineers, architects, technicians, teachers, nurses, computer programmers, building operatives, masons, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, mechanics, drivers, fire fighters, administrative staff, shop assistants, cleaners etc. The 85.7% workforce would increase by one ninth — ie by 9.5% this would bring the workforce percentage employed to 95.2% ie and unemployment rate of 4.8%. I understand that unemployment of 5% is considered to be full employment.

I am sure the workforce would like an extra half day holiday per week, but would not like a reduction in income. Maybe the savings in dole money would enable the income tax rate to be reduced a little. Or, if the unemployed spouse of a current worker got a job under this scheme the entire family income would increase. Hence, all current workers might not lose too much. Perhaps the change could start with the secure employees of the state, semi-state and local government bodies. I have worked in all of these bodies and in private companies too. The obvious attraction of full employment is that everybody would have a job. This would give everybody an income they could be sure of. People would know how much they could afford to spend and start spending. Full-employment on a 4.5 day week would stop the brain drain of emigration and give the country confidence. The only way to go then would be up.

As the economy improved the number of hours worked per week could increase, at the same pay rate. If the economy deteriorated again the number of hours could be decreased again to avoid the need for redundancies. Thus, unemployment would be brought to a permanent end. This workers’ revolution might stop the Greek disease from coming here.

Ray Richardson,

Malahide,

Co Dublin.