Union federation Cosatu has kicked off a new campaign calling for a 40-hour work week to be formally introduced in the country.

The campaign – which was formally launched on Wednesday (27 February) – calls for an eight-hour working day in terms of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA)

The BCEA currently states that the maximum ordinary hours of work is 45 hours per week, nine hours in any day if the employee works for five days or less in a week; or eight hours in any day if the employee works on more than five days in a week.

Cosatu said that this reduction in working hours would help reduce unemployment in the country.

“It is generally accepted that the reason for reducing working hours to 40 is to create employment,” it said in a statement.

“If work that is done by five people can be done by 10 people who are not working long hours of 45 hours this could create more jobs.

“Currently, South Africa has an unemployment rate of 27.1% but when using the expanded definition our unemployment rate is sitting at 37% which means that close to 10 million people are without jobs.

“This means that we need more regulation in the labour market because what is causing joblessness is not only technology but also labour flexibility.”

Cosatu added that these changes should be made without workers losing their wages and that it planned to use protest action to put more pressure on the government and employers to move towards their implementation.

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