Brussels' European Quarter finally ready to shed its bureaucratic ghetto image
A large-scale urban redevelopment project seeks to inject some life into the district by creating, among other things, housing units
Włocławek, in central Poland, will try out a 35-hour work week for its civil servants, Source: Depositphotos
The new labour change, however, only applies to Włoclawek’s civil servants
Last year, during the parliamentary elections, the Polish Left Party (Lewica) ran on a platform that promised to cut down the working hours per week to 35 from the current 40. Although the party didn’t win, it hasn’t forgotten its mission as from 1 September the small city of Włocławek will officially institute a 35-hour working week, even if that change will only apply to employees of the city council administration.
The mayor of Włocławek, Krzysztof Kukucki, who is from the Left Party received an official congratulatory greeting from his co-partisans, who were quick to describe the announcement as a revolutionary example that would spread to the rest of the country.
Actually, Włocławek is not the first city in Poland to try this, as since 1 July, city officials working in Leszno have also had this right. Włocławek, however, is a larger city hence why it is making more of a splash in the news world.
What’s more, the administrative employees can decide how to organize their 35 working hours. They can either have five workdays of 7 hours each or four working days. Their salaries will stay the same.
It goes without saying that the workers affected by the change are rather pleased by it, however, it cannot be said the same about the residents of Włocławek who will continue working the standard 40 hours a week.
Here are some of the residents’ opinions expressed to Gazeta Wyborcza:
“I would prefer that such experiments were first carried out in a private company, and not with public money.”
"With taxpayers' money, you can get one day of work a week."
“They will drink less coffee, exchange less gossip, make less mess, and the salary will be the same or maybe even higher. They produce nothing. The taxpayer works for them. There is nothing to be happy about.”
Mayor Kukucki has assured that the services to citizens will remain of the same quality, saying more details will be provided in the future regarding the scheme. He added that he intends to expand this to also include employees of public companies working for the city administration.
OECD statistics show that the average Polish employee works hundreds of hours more per year than the average German, Dane or Dutch.
Benoît Payan has an idea to reorganize the work of the city administration
A large-scale urban redevelopment project seeks to inject some life into the district by creating, among other things, housing units
The International Forum on Economic Transformation of Coal Regions will take place on 25 September
Despite the small scale of an SMR, it won’t be cheap to build, and it could become a reality only in the next decade
The same goes for 5G coverage but that complete rate will be achieved already in 2025
The tool builds upon the already available web version of the map
Despite the small scale of an SMR, it won’t be cheap to build, and it could become a reality only in the next decade
Silesia is known as the industrial heart of the country, but its regional government wants to engender a new awareness among the youngest
The organizers are making a stake to foster committed action on the part of the governments through the Aalborg Conditions
Bremerhaven is worried about the spreading of infections through this seemingly innocent act of compassion
Silesia is known as the industrial heart of the country, but its regional government wants to engender a new awareness among the youngest
Plus, you might have to book a spot in advance to view the famous attraction
Urban dwellers across the EU are having a say in making their surroundings friendlier to people and the environment.
Forests in the EU can help green the European construction industry and bolster a continent-wide push for architectural improvements.
Apply by 10 November and do your part for the transformation of European public spaces
An interview with the Mayor of a Polish city that seeks to reinvent itself
An interview with the newly elected ICLEI President and Mayor of Malmö
A conversation with the Mayor of Lisbon about the spirit and dimensions of innovation present in the Portuguese capital