Barrow scraps Jammeh’s four-day working week

 Banjul, Sunday

The Gambia’s new president Adama Barrow has scrapped the four-day week introduced by his predecessor Yahya Jammeh.

In a statement at the weekend, Barrow said public sector employees would now have to work a half-day on Fridays too. Four years ago, Jammeh had said the country’s mainly Muslim population should use Fridays to pray, socialise and tend to fields.

However, under the new rules, the working week is actually officially shorter by three-and-a-half hours.

Official working hours are now 08:00 to 16:00 from Monday to Thursday and 08:00 to 12:30 on Friday—making 36-and-a-half hours a week.

Previously public sector employees were meant to work 40 hours a week, from 08:00 to 18:00, Monday to Thursday. The four-day week had its critics, but under the former government, publicly expressing criticism of official policy could lead to severe punishment.

“Now we have rejoined the civilised world,”said Allieu Ceesay, a trader in Serekunda, Gambia’s largest town. The directive comes less than two weeks since Jammeh went into exile.       - BBC

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