§ Mr. Greville Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether, in view of the current levels of unemployment, he will introduce measures to ensure a shorter working day, working week, and working life.
§ Mr. AlisonThe Government are already operating three work-sharing measures: the job release scheme, the job splitting scheme and the temporary short-time working compensation scheme.
Any more general reduction and reorganisation of working time must be primarily a matter for negotiation between employers and employees. Such reductions can be effective in reducing unemployment only if there is no significant increase in employers' costs. Without corresponding reductions in pay, there is unlikely to be scope for creating new jobs.