One fifth of world's workers work over 48 hours a week: ILO
Afp, Geneva
More than one fifth of the global workforce spends more than 48 hours a week at work, with many workers in the poorest countries forced to opt for long hours given their meagre wages, the International Labour Organisation said on Thursday. Some 614.2 million workers, or about 22 percent of the global workforce, work for more than 48 hours a week, with those in the service sector such as wholesale, retail and catering particularly affected, the ILO said in a report. The "Working Time Around the World" report highlighted the diverse nature of global working patterns, with differences between industrialised and developing countries, and a clear gender gap between men and women. "Men tend to work long hours, while short hours primarily concern women workers. Women's availability for paid work appears to be constrained by the time they devote to their household/domestic responsibilities," the ILO said. In the developing world, attempts to reduce working hours have been undermined by both the use of overtime by employers, and by low wages which mean that workers are forced to work long hours to earn a decent salary. Low pay restricted working time flexibility and made it unattractive, the ILO said. "These flexibility measures, as well as part-time work, are not much used in practice due to the fact that they reduce household income in the context of low hourly wages," the report said. "Generally, working time laws and policies often have limited influence on actual working hours in developing economies," it added. The ILO urged states to develop practical and enforceable measures to guarantee that workers' health is not jeopardised by long hours and exploitative use of overtime by employers. "As legal limits are unlikely to be sufficient for achieving this objective, there also needs to be a credible enforcement mechanism, such as the labour inspectorate, as well as compliance with established 'norms' among enterprises," it said. Authorities and employers should devise decent working time arrangements that preserve health and safety, are "family friendly," promote gender equality, enhance productivity, and give workers themselves a say in how their hours are structured, the ILO recommended. "There is a great need for social dialogue to permit workers' needs and preferences to be heard and acted on," it said.
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