Keir Starmer urged to back four-day week

The 4 Day Week Campaign Mini-Manifesto, published today, calls for policies which would enable the transition to a four-day week across the economy. 

The group have been campaigning to reduce the maximum working week from 48 hours to 32 hours per week by 2030.

On top of that, the group will also campaign for a £100 million fund to support companies in the private sector to move to a four-day, 32-hour working week.

At the 2019 General Election, the Labour Party included a commitment on the four-day week in their manifesto but since then the policy has become a lot more mainstream with hundreds of companies in the UK adopting it.

In February, the results of the world’s biggest ever four-day week pilot in the UK were revealed with almost every company that took part deciding to continue with a four-day week with no loss of pay at the end of the trial.

Senior members of Labour’s Shadow Cabinet have spoken in support of a four-day week with no loss of pay  including Deputy Leader Angela Rayner, Shadow Climate Change and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband and Shadow Attorney General Emily Thornberry.

Joe Ryle, Director of the 4 Day Week Campaign, said: “Keir Starmer has rightly talked up the importance of family life in Britain but he should back working families by giving them a four-day working week.

“Too many parents in Britain are working long hours, often on low pay and they deserve a break.

“In burnout Britain, a four-day week with no loss of pay would give parents more time to spend together with their family.”

Clive Lewis, Labour MP for Norwich South, said: “Overwork, burnout and mental health issues are far too common in this country so a four-day week is desperately needed.

“Elections are often won by parties of the centre-left when they paint a vivid image of a brighter future. A four-day week, now more likely than ever, is crucial part of this composition.”