4-day workweek in gov’t to end Monday

Malacañang will end its four-day workweek scheme for government workers on Monday to prepare for the opening of classes in June, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said yesterday.

In a press briefing, Ermita said a memorandum on the resumption of the five-day workweek now awaits President Arroyo’s signature.

At the height of unprecedented oil price surges in the last few months, Mrs. Arroyo issued Administrative Order 117 implementing a four-day workweek beginning April 4. The order was issued in a bid to cut back on the government’s power consumption. Government energy savings from the four-day workweek were reported to be between P130 million and P140 million.

The four-day workweek "was successful," Ermita said, but he added that "inasmuch as we want to continue it, we need the entire government force to be on hand to help in preparing for the opening of classes."

He also said that AO 117 was not meant to be extended beyond May 31.

However, Ermita also said Malacañang would still consider the proposal made by the Department of Energy for a nine-day workweek. He added that the Palace is awaiting the Department of Energy’s final recommendation.

Under the DOE proposal, government employees would report for work five days one week and for four days the week after that, Ermita said. — Paolo Romero