A Labour minister has torpedoed calls for civil servants to get a four-day week - saying: "We're not living in the 1970s."
Pension Minister Emma Reynolds rubbished union claims that bringing in the controversial arrangement could save the Government £21million a year. Campaigners accused her of sounding "like a Tory minister stuck in the past".
The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) said getting a four-day week would be "critical" for improving workers' quality of life.
But Ms Reynolds shot back: "Well they won't get one." Asked why not she said: "Because we're not living in the 1970s." The PCS has released new research saying the shakeup - which supporters say would see workers do 100% of their work in 80% of the time, for full pay - would drive down sickness and turnover.
Asked on Times Radio about the research, Ms Reynolds said: "I don’t believe them. I'm giving you some very clear answers." Her remarks sparked a furious reaction. Joe Ryle, director of the 4 Day Week Campaign, said: “Emma Reynolds comes off like a Tory minister stuck in the past.
“The truth is that the 9-5, 5 day working week is outdated and no longer fit for purpose. It was invented 100 years ago and we are long overdue an update. As hundreds of British companies and one local council have already shown, a four-day week with no loss of pay can be a win-win for both workers and employers.”
The General Secretary of the PCS union said the study suggested any opposition to employees working a four-day week was "purely ideological".
"Why else would an employer stand in the way of progress?" Fran Heathcote said. "Our members are resolute in their belief that a four-day week is critical to attaining a good quality of life, improving their health and wellbeing and helping them to meet caring responsibilities, while all the time increasing their productivity."
Workers at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) are campaigning for a four-day week to be tried out. It comes after South Cambridgeshire District Council was last week told it is free to carry on with a controversial arrangement brought in last year. In a letter to the Lib Dem-run council the Government said voters can decide if it's working.
But ministers say they have no plans to roll it out across the public sector. The union's research shows average sick days could go down from 4.3 per year to 1.5. And number-crunchers say £21.4million could be saved by bringing down turnover
At Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, Kemi Badenoch attacked Sir Keir Starmer over the move, asking him: "If he is going to bail out the public sector then can he tell us this: does he think it is appropriate - as the Ministry for Housing has done - to approve a four-day week for councils that is not flexible working but is actually part-time work for full-time pay?"
Sir Keir replied: "Questions based on what we're actually doing are usually better than fantasy questions made up." A Defra spokeswoman said there were no plans for a four-day week.