By Shan Kenshin Ecaldre
Bulatlat.com
Cabuyao, LAGUNA — Labor groups and progressive organizations are raising concerns over the government’s temporary four-day workweek policy, warning that it may place heavier burdens on workers instead of addressing the roots of the economic crisis.
The policy, Memorandum Circular No. 114 (s. 2026), issued by Ferdinand Marcos Jr., is intended to help the government conserve energy and reduce fuel consumption amid rising oil prices linked to tensions and war in the Middle East.
Under the memorandum, government offices may adopt a four-day compressed workweek while maintaining the required 40-hour work schedule.
However, labor groups said the measure is merely a temporary austerity policy that fails to address deeper economic issues affecting workers and public services.
Short-term solution
The Confederation for Unity Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees (COURAGE) said the memorandum is largely redundant and does not constitute a meaningful labor reform.
According to the group, similar guidelines on flexible work arrangements had already been issued by the Civil Service Commission and the Commission on Audit.
“Memorandum Circular 114 merely repeats earlier guidelines. It does not introduce substantial reforms that would ensure continuous government services while protecting the welfare of public sector employees during crises,” COURAGE said in a statement.
The group added that the government’s response reflects a narrow approach to the recurring global crises, noting that the country has already gone through the COVID?19 pandemic and past geopolitical conflicts that affected oil prices.
Concerns over longer working hours
Labor organizations also criticized the compressed schedule for potentially requiring employees to work up to 10 hours a day to complete the standard 40-hour workweek.
COURAGE said such arrangements undermine the long-fought principle of the eight-hour workday.
“Government employees are human beings with families and lives outside work,” the statement reads,
“Extending work hours beyond eight hours effectively steals time that workers should have for themselves and their families.”
The Makabayan Coalition echoed similar concerns, warning that the policy could lead to worker fatigue and undermine existing labor standards.
“The four-day workweek should not be used as an excuse to lengthen daily work hours, undermine overtime pay, reduce workers’ salaries, or endanger security of tenure especially for contractual workers,” Liza Maza, Makabayan president, wrote in a statement.
According to the coalition, implementing such a scheme without safeguards on wages and working hours could compromise workers’ health and reduce productivity.
Unequal impact on workers
COURAGE also warned that the memorandum’s vague provisions could create confusion across government agencies.
The circular allows agencies to craft their own internal guidelines on flexible work arrangements, which the group said may lead to inconsistent implementation and unequal workloads.
Frontline personnel in public services, for example, may not be able to benefit from flexible arrangements, potentially resulting in heavier workloads for some employees.
The group urged the government to consult workers’ unions and associations before implementing nationwide policies affecting the public sector.
Call for economic relief
Instead of austerity measures, labor groups said the government should prioritize economic relief for workers.
ACT Teachers Partylist called for transportation allowances, shuttle services for employees, and internet subsidies for work-from-home arrangements.
They also pushed for the removal of excise taxes on petroleum products and the value-added tax on essential goods to ease the burden of rising prices.
The group further called for an increase in the Personnel Economic Relief Allowance (PERA) for government employees to P5,000 from P2,000, along with substantial salary increases.
Meanwhile, Kilusang Mayo Uno condemned the policy, saying it shifts the burden of the economic crisis onto workers.
KMU warned that compressed work weeks could mean longer hours, unpaid overtime, or reduced wages, especially for contractual and “no work, no pay” employees.
Labor groups said the government should instead implement policies that protect workers’ income and job security amid rising prices.
“Workers and government employees need real economic relief, not temporary measures that pass the burden of crisis onto them,” the groups said. (RTS, JDS)
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