Labour have opened the door to the Lib Dem four-day working week in the UK, after dropping the Best Value Notice on Britain’s only four-day week council.
Liberal Democrat-controlled South Cambridgeshire District Council worked 30 hours a week for 37 hours’ pay from January 2023.
Despite the four-day week trial officially ending in March 2024, the council continues to work just 32 hours per week for 37 hours’ pay.
The previous government issued two Best Value Notices to the council over concerns that residents were not receiving value for money from these arrangements.
However, Labour Deputy Leader and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities, and Local Government Angela Rayner chose not to renew the council’s second Best Value Notice, which expired on Friday.
Cllr Heather Williams, Leader of the Conservative Opposition at South Cambridgeshire District Council, reacted to this alarming acceptance of four-day weeks in the UK.
“Labour made a terrible choice in joining the Lib Dems down the slippery slope of paying full-time hours for part-time work. By allowing South Cambs Lib Dems to flout their obligations of best value to residents, the government could be ushering in four-day weeks across the board. Indeed, we have already heard that Tube drivers may be offered a four-day week.
“The way the Lib Dems have handled the four-day week has been shocking. There has still been no consultation with the residents footing the bill to give council staff an extra day off each week. 80% of councillors have still not had a vote on whether the four-day week should be happening. Residents and councillors including myself have had to fight tooth and nail just to gain access to basic information – a sad state of affairs.
“The Lib Dems let the genie out of the bottle when it comes to the four-day week – and Labour are complicit in allowing the waste of taxpayers’ money.”
