Sharing the Work, Sparing the Planet : Work Time Reduction, Consumption and the Environment

by Anders Hayden

• ISBN13: 9781856498173
• ISBN10: 1856498174
• Format: Trade Book
• Copyright: 2000-02-19
• Publisher: Zed Books

Summary

This book is a comprehensive, up-to-date and thoughtful account of "work time reduction" which is being increasingly discussed and experimented with in many countries, particularly in Western Europe. The idea embraces an innovative range of possibilities, including a shorter working week, early retirement, and parental leave. The author argues that work time reduction can contribute to reducing ecological stress as an environmentally sound response to unemployment (some 35 million people are jobless in OECD countries) and by encouraging new notions of progress based on more free time rather than more material consumption. The author explores the political, economic, and cultural obstacles to be overcome.

Author Biography

Anders Hayden is a research and policy coordinator of 32 hour: Action for Full Employment.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Introduction	1	(12)
Growing, Growing, Gone?	4	(6)
Towards a Green Left	10	(3)
Overconsumption, Efficiency, and Sufficiency	13	(18)
Sustainable Growth to the Rescue?	16	(2)
The Eco-Efficiency ``Revolution'' and an Ecological Tax Reform	18	(7)
The Limits to Efficiency	25	(4)
Towards a Sufficiency Revolution	29	(2)
Working Less, Consuming Less, and Living More: The Ecological Promise of Work-Time Reduction	31	(30)
An Ecologically Sound Response to the Employment Crisis	32	(9)
An Alternative Vision of Progress	41	(12)
Time to Think, Time to Act	53	(2)
New Opportunities for ``Simple Living'' and Subverting Consumerism	55	(6)
Perverted by Productivism? Work-Time Reduction and an Expansionary Vision	61	(18)
Work-Time Reduction as a Stimulus to Economic Growth?	62	(5)
More Time to Consume?	67	(2)
Green Suspicion of Shorter Work Hours	69	(1)
It Isn't Easy Being Green	70	(2)
Avoiding the Pitfalls of Productivism	72	(3)
Strengthening the Ecological Merits of Work-Time Reduction	75	(1)
Finding Common Ground	76	(3)
Why It's So Hard to Work Less	79	(26)
Business and the Bottom Line	80	(6)
Working to Survive or Working for More Toys?	86	(4)
Labour Unions as a Force for Change	90	(4)
Government Leadership in a Time of Neo-Liberalism	94	(1)
A Culture Consumed by Growth	95	(3)
The Overwork Ethic	98	(2)
Fear of Freedom?	100	(1)
The Commodification and Trivialization of Leisure	101	(1)
``Nice Idea, but It Can't Be Done''	102	(3)
Work-Time Policy and Practice, North and South	105	(28)
Focus on the Workweek, or the Work Life?	106	(1)
A Tool Box for Reducing and Redistributing Work Time	107	(2)
Individual or Collective Choice? Voluntary or Legislative Action?	109	(5)
Canadian Policy and Practice	114	(12)
Work Time in the South	126	(7)
Europe's New Movement for Work-Time Reduction	133	(34)
France: Legislation + Financial Incentives + Collective Bargaining = 35 Hours	133	(10)
Germany: Labour's Collective Bargaining Push	143	(6)
The Netherlands: Work-Time Reduction in Europe's New Economic Model	149	(5)
Denmark: Leading the Way on Leaves for Social and Family Needs	154	(3)
Other European Nations	157	(7)
Assessing the European Experience	164	(3)
With or Without Loss in Pay? With or Without the Revolution?	167	(24)
Making Business Pay	168	(1)
The ``Magic'' of Productivity Gains	168	(3)
Financial Support from the State	171	(5)
Working Less for Less Pay	176	(6)
Work-Time Reduction in Globalized Capitalism	182	(9)
Notes	191	(32)
Selected Bibliography	223	(4)
Index	227