Overview

• The ACTU will formally present its proposal at the Economic Reform Roundtable in Canberra from August 19 to 21, calling for a four-day, 32-hour week where practicable and sector-specific alternatives elsewhere with pay and conditions protected.
• The union’s submission cites a multi-country Nature Human Behaviour study and a 2023 Swinburne University trial showing reduced hours can boost productivity, cut burnout and improve employee retention.
• Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers have emphasised the summit’s role as an ideas forum and have not offered immediate policy commitments on shorter work weeks.
• Employer groups including the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Restaurant and Cafe Association warn that a blanket four-day week risks operational challenges in sectors such as hospitality and call for detailed implementation plans.
• The debate underscores Australia’s slow productivity growth and stagnant real wages, with unions arguing that technological and AI-driven gains should translate into improved living standards through shorter hours.