Service oriented industry opposes 4-day workweek

CEBU, Philippines - Some service oriented industry operators in Cebu has opposed the proposal to cut the number of working days in a week into four.

Tourism Congress Vice President for the Visayas, Jenny Franco of Travel Vision, said that the proposal is not practical to the industry that they are in. Franco is also the past president of the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies.

“I think our services will suffer if we stick to that law because the nature of our service is once we start handling the tourists or the guests, you don’t stop because you are working up to this hour only. It will bounce back to us,” Franco said.

An example Franco cited is the hotel or a travel agency wherein they charge their client according to the specific service that they promised to them.

“When the client comes, we cannot charge them more just because one of our staff has to go overtime,” Franco said.

Another factor Franco has pointed out is that they have no control over the arrival of the airplanes when there are arrivals at midnight.

“You mean to say our staff will not go and meet them at midnight because she has reported to the office from 8 (am) to 5 (pm) on that day,” Franco said as she stressed that if this will become a law, they are obliged to pay overtime to this staff who goes to the airport at midnight.

They cannot also collect more from their client and tell to give them higher package because they are arriving at midnight.

In the hotel, Franco said there are guests who may have great time dancing and partying at night and the staff cannot just leave them because his or her shift is only up to that particular hour.

“I think this is not applicable to our industry and to other service oriented industry because we are selling services, we are not selling products,” Franco said.

She added that the proposal maybe applicable to factories because they are producing products and in some government offices and schools.

The proposal was already rejected a day after Quezon City Representative Winston Castelo presented the proposed “Four-Day Work Week Act of 2011.”

The bill seeks to extend working hours from eight to 10 but only from Monday to Thursday.

Castelo noted that the proposal would cut expenditures for both workers and employers as it is perceived to reduce transport and food costs.

He added that the proposal “seeks to address the economic difficulties caused by higher consumer prices and stagnant wages.” — (FREEMAN)