East Java back to 6-day week

East Java back to 6-day week

SURABAYA: All East Javanese regencies and mayoralties, apart
from the Surabaya mayoralty, will return to a six-day working
week as of Dec. 1, a local official said yesterday.

The decision will end the trial five-day working week which
East Java and other provinces started early this year.

Abdul Hamid, the deputy governor in charge of administrative
affairs, said the state minister of administrative reforms had
rejected the provincial administration's proposal for a shorter
working week for efficiency reasons.

Hamid said although the central government had endorsed the
Surabaya mayoralty's five-day week, it required exceptions for
institutions like hospitals.

A recent survey conducted by the Surabaya mayoralty showed
that 62.7 percent of the respondents were pleased with the
shorter working week, 24.4 percent felt "nothing unusual" and
only 9 percent were unhappy with it, Antara reported.

"We hope the decision will not make other regencies jealous,"
Hamid said. (pan)