The Business Association of the Coimbra Region was surprised that, at a time when difficulties are expected for Portuguese companies, the Government put the discussion on the four-day work week on the media agenda.
“At this point, putting a problem of this nature on the table is a clear demonstration of the ignorance of the reality of Portuguese companies,” considered the Associação Empresarial da Região de Coimbra (NERC), in a statement entitled “Four-day work week – premature death of a good idea”.
NERC recalled that we live in a time “in which companies are facing a galloping increase in the prices of their intermediate consumption, especially fuels”, and “a strong rise in interest rates”.
It is in this context that businessmen are “surprised by an experimental policy -the pilot experiences- that only serves to hide the real problems that concern companies and the country,” he lamented.
According to NERC, companies continue to experience “the consequences of the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine”, which translate into a “slow recovery”, and, in addition, there are prospects of a crisis in 2023.
“The Government, instead of helping companies to mitigate their costs, especially energy ones, announces gloomy measures for the normal development of economic activity. Instead of worrying about contributing so that the funds of the PRR (Recovery and Resilience Plan) are applied and also reach Portuguese companies, we see that the main concern of the Government, at the moment, is the four days of work a week ”, criticized.
In his opinion, “companies need structural measures that allow upward trajectories, they need stimuli, political discernment, they need the Government to distinguish between the main thing and the accessory thing.”
At this moment of doubtful feasibility, it seems more like a contribution to a stillbirth announcement, ”he considered.
In this context, NERC left a call on companies to “be firm in responding to the Government’s proposal” and “do not agree with measures of this nature at this time of great difficulties”, asking them to “peremptorily refuse settle”. negotiating table for this purpose”.
“Participating is feeding the government’s myopia,” he warned, assuring that NERC refuses to participate “in fanciful scenarios that are nothing more than skillful ways of making people forget the main problems that companies and the country are facing.” .
Source: Observadora
