Accordingtotheproposal,Chinashouldspeeduptheimplementationofthepaidleavesystemthroughout2020to2025andtryouttheshorterworkweeksysteminlargeandmedium-sizedstate-ownedenterprisesintheeastofthecountry.From2025on,thenewsystemcanbepushedtomoreindustriesandsectorsincentralandeasternpartsofthecountry.From2030,thefour-dayworkweekcanbeimplementedthroughoutthecountry.
Sinceitcameout,theproposalhasstirredupalotofdebateamongthepublic.Someapplaudtheidea,whileothersthinkit鈥檚unrealistic.
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HeYong(www.sohu):Toimplementafour-day,36-hourworkweekisundoubtedlygoodnewsformostChinese.Comparedwiththecurrentfive-daysystem,itreducesworkingtimebyfourhoursaweek,givingemployeesmoretimetorest.Moreimportantly,wewillhaveathree-dayweekendwhichwillenableustotravelaroundwithouthavingtowaitforthecrowdedpublicholidays.
In1995,Chinaputintopracticethefivedayworkweeksystemwhereeveryemployeewassupposedtoenjoyatwo-dayweekend.However,overthepast20years,notallworkershavebeenabletoresttwodaysaweek,andsomeevenhaveonlyonedayoffperweek.
Inaddition,althoughChinabegantoimplementthepaidleavesystemin2008,onlyalimitedportionofemployeesareabletobenefitfromit.Asurveyof2,552workersbytheTourismResearchCenteroftheCASSshowedthat40.1percentoftherespondentshadnopaidleave,while4.1percentofthemdidhaveaccesstoapaidleave,butdidn鈥檛havetimetoenjoyit.Another18.8percentoftherespondentshadapaidleave,couldpotentiallyenjoyit,butcouldnotarrangeitbythemselves.Only31.3percenthadapaidleavethattheycouldreallyenjoy.
TherealityisthatworkingovertimewithoutextrapayhastakenholdinChina.Accordingtoa2017surveyreleasedbyZhaopin,aleadingrecruitmentwebsiteinChina,about85percentofChineseofficeemployeesworkedovertimeeveryweek.Inaddition,21.3percentworkedfiveto10hoursofovertimeaweek;about33.3percenthadnovacationtime;and25.5percenthadanannualvacationoflessthanfivedays.
It鈥檚basicallyajoketotalkabouttheimplementationofafour-dayworkweeksystemwhenatwo-dayoffworkweekandapaidleavesystemarestillemptypromises.Toimplementthefour-dayworkweeksystem,weshouldfirstfixexistingproblems.
Puttingitinplace
WuLichuan(ModernExpress):It鈥檚been23yearssinceChinastartedthefive-dayworkweeksystem,andachangetoshortentheweeklyworktimeshouldbesomethingtocelebrate.However,morepeoplearepessimisticabouttheproposalthanoptimistic.Somearguethateventhefive-dayworkweekregulationhasnotbeenfullyimplementedinChina,letalonethefour-dayidea.Wehavetoadmitthatthisistrueinsomesectorsandcompanies.
However,itmustbepointedoutthattheCASSreportdoesnotfocusontheprotectionofworkers鈥檒egitimaterightsbutattemptstoinformsocietyinanappropriatewaythatChineseworkersalsohavetherighttoworkfourdaysandrestthreedaysaweek.
Whyistheproposaldoubtedbysomanypeople?Toalargeextent,it鈥檚becauseeventhefive-dayworkweekisnotyetfullyandevenlyimplementedacrossChinesesociety.However,thefailureofthecurrentsysteminsomesectorsandregionsshouldnotbeusedtojustifyridiculeoftheCASS鈥檚newworkweekproposal.Whycan鈥檛societybemorepositivetoaprogressivesystemdesign,ratherthanridiculingandcriticizingit?
ShangFan(www.rednet.cn):TheleisuretimeofChineseworkers鈥攚hichreportedlyisonlyhalfofthatoftheirpeersindevelopedcountries鈥攊sobviouslyinsufficient.Itisimperativetoincreasetheirleisuretimeandimprovetheirqualityoflife.China鈥檚economyandsocietyhavemadegreatprogressinthepastfourdecades,whichhasalreadylaidasolidfoundationforafour-dayworkweek.
Theweeklylabortimewillonlybereducedbyfourhourscomparedtothecurrentfivedayworkweekifthenewsystemislaunched.Ahigherproductivityinthefuturemeansthatafour-dayworkweekwillnotreducesocialwealth,norwillitrestricttheprogressofsocialdevelopment,whichinturnwouldunderminethepublic鈥檚qualityoflife.Therefore,theproposalshouldbecheeredbysociety.
Furthermore,morefreetimeforthepublicwillprovetobeaboonforthetourismindustryandstimulateconsumerspending.
Atpresent,thepublicismostlyindifferenttowardtheCASS鈥檚proposalandevenquestionitsfeasibility.Thereasonisthatforsomeaverageworkers,twodaysorevenonedayoffaweekisstillanonstarter,nevermindthreedaysoffperweek.
Weshouldfuelthepublic鈥檚passionforabetterfuturelife.Relevantauthoritiesshouldworkhardtounderstandaverageworkingconditionsandprotectworker鈥檚legitimaterights,includingtherighttoenjoytwodaysoffaweek.
Atthesametime,thegovernmenthasalotofworktodotoalleviateordinarypeople鈥檚anxietyabouttheirfuturelivessothattheywillnotrejectvacationtimewhentheyhavethechancetoenjoyit.Thisincludescurbinghousingpricehikes,cuttingtaxburdensandraisingpeople鈥檚incomessoastocreatefavorableconditionsfortheimplementationofthefour-dayworkweeksystem.
Asadevelopingcountry,Chinaneedsitspopulationtoworkhardtocreatemoresocialwealth.Butafter40yearsofrapidgrowth,it鈥檚equallyimportantforittoenhancepeople鈥檚qualityoflifebygrantingthemmoreleisuretimetodowhattheyarereallyinterestedin.Althoughthepublicseemstobeindifferenttowardthefourdayworkweekproposal,theyarepassionateaboutanextendedweekendintheirhearts.
Uncertainties
BiShicheng(TheBeijingNews):Objectivelyspeaking,thefour-dayworkweekproposalislogical,associety鈥檚productivityisontherise.Gradually,peoplewillhavemorefreetimeforleisureorvacation.Lookingbackonthepastthreedecades,wefindtheworkingweekkeepsshrinking,fromsixdaystofiveandahalftothecurrentfivedays.
However,intheupcoming12yearsleadingupto2030,weareexpectingahugetransformationdifferentfromwhatthepreviousindustrialrevolutionshavebroughtabout:theimpactofinformationtechnology,artificialintelligenceandacapital-driveneconomy.Theseforcesarereshapingtheworld鈥檚laborpatterns.Asaresult,wemayhavetofacethepossibilityofalotofsurpluslaborinthefuture.
Withoutproperinterferenceaheadoftime,thecombinationofnewtechnologyandcapitalwillsurelypushhumanbeingstoanicyreality:Syntheticintelligencewillreplacebothwhite-andblue-collarhumanworkers.Theprospectofalargenumberofpeoplehavingnojobsistroublesome.Atthatpoint,thepublic鈥檚focuswillnotbeonwhethertheyhaveafour-dayorfive-dayworkweek,butwhethertheystillhaveworktodo.
It鈥檚arguedbysomescholarsthatatthattime,thenatureofworkwillchange.Humanworkerswillshifttotasksthathumanbeingsaremorecapableofdoingwellthanrobots.
However,thisshiftwillnotcomenaturally.Theremustbeforward-lookingthinkingandpreparationsforaneconomicecosystemthataccommodateshumanbeingsandrobotsinaharmoniousenvironment.
TheCASSreportisbasedontheintentionofextendingtimeforleisure.Thisisfarfromenough.Wemustlookatthetopicagainstabroadercontext,takingintoconsiderationnotonlytherighttoleisurebutalsotherighttowork.
LISHIGONGCopyeditedbyRebecaToledo