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GE2024manifestoTHE GREEN PARTY has called for a Citizens’ Assembly on a four-day work week in order to comb through issues such as people’s pay and its effect on the public service.
Children’s Minister Roderic O’Gorman said it should be held after the planned citizens’ assembly on education, suggesting the second year in government with legislation implemented in the third year of government.
He said that flexible and remote work had achieved a better work-life balance for people, but it was now time to “take the next steps forward”.
He said that figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) suggests about a quarter of workers feel they get inadequate amount of leisure time and time with their families.
O’Gorman said this limited spare time has health, mental health and social impacts.
A Citizens’ Assembly was warranted because there were “complexities” to the suggestion, he added, particularly for the hospitality and public sectors.
It also raised questions on what people should be paid to work a four-day week.
“Fundamentally, we want to continue this effort to broaden out access to leisure time, broaden out access to caring time and benefit from the technological changes, AI changes, and make sure that those changes are benefiting workers in the same way that they’re often benefiting their companies,” he said on Monday.
The party is also pledging to hold an extra bank holiday in July.
This would bring Ireland’s total number of bank holidays up to 12, which is the European average.
Asked whether the four-day proposal was a bid to attract voters back to the Green Party, after they had fallen from 7% support in the general election to around 3-4% in current polls, O’Gorman said “no I don’t think so”.
“I think it speaks to the work we’ve already done with this government in terms of trying to help workers balance their work-life responsibilities with their caring responsibilities as well.
“So it’s consistent with the work-life balance act that I introduced, it’s consistent with the extension of breastfeeding breaks that I introduced, and it’s consistent with the introduction of the February bank holiday, which the Green Party championed.”
Asked about the possible challenges of a four-day work week, he added: “We’re not talking about immediate implementation. We’re talking about discussing it with social partners, see what are the benefits, see how we can support it.”
The four-day week and bank holiday proposals were highlighted in the Green Party’s election manifesto.
The party also proposed expanding the right to request flexible working to all workers, and not just those in caring roles; to transpose and legislate for the provisions of the EU Pay Transparency Directive, and to implement a living wage.
Other Green Party election pledges contained in its manifesto include spending 10 billion euros on public transport, a tax on business class flights and private jets, and a State-led childcare system.
It said it would oversee 50,000-53,000 new homes built a year, 15,000 of which would be affordable and 12,000 social; and create a means testing agency to simplify access to public services.
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And puff just like that they are gone
@Mark Dunne: some weeds are notoriously hard to kill?
@brian o’leary: it’s next to impossible to get rid of a Creeping Lilly like Rodders or even a Pot-plant like Eamo
@brian o’leary: Like Japanese Knotweed.
@brian o’leary: bring back glyphosate or paraquat guaranteed to rid us of the pesky Green Party
Goodbye Green Party. Good riddance.
@Social Guy: nope u jumping to concliusios that’s wrong again…
@A W: what is your native language?
@Finian McG: I don’t think English is AW’s first language, or second or third!
@Finian McG: Most Irish can’t even use it properly so it’s definitely not a big issue.
With a four day week, won’t every weekend be a Bank Holiday ?
@brian o’leary: nope. Some people will have to take , Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday off to enable the company open 5 days but allow 4 day working week for staff
@Ger Whelan: I guess, but sometimes they’ll be able to take a Monday or a Friday and have more 3 day weekends? Personally, I’d prefer to work the 5 days and have an extra days holidays.
@brian o’leary: So far the few companies I have seen switch to the 4 day week have done so that you get the same 3 days off every week. The staff with service got the first pick of what day they wanted off.
@brian o’leary: no you work Friday to Monday every week didnt you realise that
Great, another citizens assembly. That’s what we elect a parliament for, to make a decision. Not to put another one in place
@Tom O’ Donnell: *another parliament*
Greens clinging to power ☝️
@Darragh Mcnamara: using our money (tax) cling to power
Ah c’mon, it’s crazy now……… I’m holding out for 2 weeks all inclusive in lanzarote!!!! That’s it……. a fortnight lanzarote = #1,#2AND #3 on the piece of paper nov29th
@Frank Mc Carthy: yea, we know – you’ve been making the same “joke” for 3 days now. Oh and btw, you do know that the 4 day week proposal doesn’t actually suggest a cut in working hours….?
@Kevin Kerr: hey brenny, so I made a joke about something the ( soon to be extinct hopefully) greenies only came up with today??? You want the lotto numbers for weds night, lol
@Frank Mc Carthy: you do know thats brenny’s account??
@Frank/Kevvy: You made the same ‘joke’ on an SF post yesterday. My sides almost split from the laughter. If you could take an extended break somewhere with no Internet, these comments sections would improve immeasurably.
Everyone knows that you’re the person with a couple of dozen accounts at least.
@Brendan O’Brien: I hope you sued that movie ‘SPLIT’!!! It’s despicable what you & all your accounts, kevin kerrr, chutes, d peader etc etc have done to this once great site!!! Pathetic & sad
@Frank Mc Carthy: A Trump super fam hatrs the Greens. What a shock. You hate Science, modernity, people with too much melanin, anyone with a wierd religion, anyone not straight….. Standard right wing stuff
@FoxyBoiiYT: & just DONT get me started about multi account juvenile trolls!!! LOL
@Kevin Kerr: funny , more working hours , imagine the county council slobs staying an extra 2 hours a day. Funny…
I don’t want a 4-day week, I want to be able to commute from Navan but for it to not take four hours each day, sort out the public transport!
@Fiona Wyse: Good for you.
@Fiona Wyse: would a 4 day week not cut your weekly commute time by 20%?
@Fiona Wyse: capitalistic bootlicker
@brian o’leary: I think she means sort out public transport BEFORE the mystical 4 day week. Public transport always left as a non runner. Especially on the Northside of Dublin.
@Fiona Wyse: are they still on for opening the old rail line or did they abandon that after the motorway was built?
@brian o’leary: ah shure, why not get a public service desk job and work from home 3days from 5?
And have annual pay reviews through Public Service Agreements built into the State Budgets.
Not to miss out on inflation proofed pensions as well.
You must be screwed up to commute 5 days weekly.
Like me, I commuted up to 3hrs across Dublin 5 & 6 days, sometumes 7, for most of my workng life, only for the desk jockeys to levy my pension to keep themselves secure.
Get sense man.
@Alex Kane: we have a special name for leeches like you
@brian o’leary: well you have to make the time up somehow, I’m quite happy with how long my working day is already (8 hours) and with severe back and neck pain the less time I spend sitting at a desk every day the better! I don’t know about you but some people actually like to do nice activities for themselves in the evening time! It’s not right having to get up at 4:30 a.m. to get into the office for 7.15am but that’s what commuter life is like in Navan. It’s worse again if you start at 9:00 a.m. you can’t even get on a bus they just fly past you.
@Alex Kane: have a bit of respect I’m probably paying your dole payments. Leech.
@P. V. Aglue: I believe we are going to be proceeding towards consultation stage with the train. I’m only new to Navan (3 years) so I’m full of optimism for it because I haven’t had to wait as long as the locals! It’s the hope that kills you though…..
@Fiona Wyse: Yea, the country is like a prison on the roads rn, regardless of preference
Desperation stakes from the Greens now.On their way to oblivion on Nov. 29th.
@Willie Marty: Have Francis Noel & Catherine come out of hiding yet or are they building the wall to stop people who don’t have any homes, from looking into their kitchen, counting the Lolly. Greens are the party of Hypocrites.
Not forgotten rte 750mill pay off turdby etc should be impartial etc
But no council houses near any of their high profile members ,nooooo…
Another crackpot idea from labour I’m sure all buisness will be thrilled
@Sheila McNulty: sorry was supposed to be Greens
@Sheila McNulty: do, we need tax fat cats or keep croling wat u thing…
FG article no comments active hmmm???
The Greens are on the wrong track on this program. Extended hols not justified, as it reduces public services productivity, which benefits most, & increases general economic activity costs, with no productivity boost.
When will political wanabees listen to the O’Learys, who know how to run business, and their own Economists?
This is an escaping Celtic Elephant trampling on the stability of the economy, a bunch of desparadoes outbidding the others on the same destructive tack.
Hope they are obliterated, them and liebor
@John Meade: I hope things happens to then that I can’t say on here
sure ffg just ignore citizen assemblies.. they implemented none of the citizen assemblies recommendations on disabilities or strategy on drug use…
Nuke them from space. It’s the only way to be sure.
I used to work a three day week and it was brilliant.
Excellent proposals, feck the begrudgers. Green Party only ones brave enough to tackle the climate crisis, everyone else sticking their heads onnthe sand. A poor decision with all the flooding caused by climate change
@FoxyBoiiYT: I think they’ll do okay, saying all the right things, but you know, just not doing them
Nothing can save the Vegan fruitcake party now.
I would rather work 5x 8h than 4x 10h to make up the lost day. 4 day work week might work for some but not all. In many industries it’s not possible that everyone is off at the same time.
@no no no: 5×8 hours? hope thats not breaking stone. Like everything people should be allowed do whatever they want as long as the work is delivered complete and on time. I think that could work in any industry. Certainly billionaire’s don’t care as long as revenue streams aren’t effected.
I’d rather work than see this skum back in
They are getting desperate! Making up stuff now, like child when they know they’re in trouble and finally have to face the headmaster!
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