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> From the government's own figures, a 40% reduction in working hours caused just a 4% drop in productivity. and > That lasted 2 or 3 months, It's quite poss

> From the government's own figures, a 40% reduction in working hours caused just a 4% drop in productivity. and > That lasted 2 or 3 months, It's quite possible that people 'pulled together' to get through the crisis, similar to how people managed in the war with the 'Dunkirk Spirit'. Just because we seemingly did well through a three month crisis does not mean that is a long term sustainable plan.

calewis 8y ago
Would you not agree that ‘pulling together’ should be the norm for a successful society? I agree that the high levels of stress are unhealthy however.
- Steve44 8y ago
  Yes, I totally agree that everyone should work with the wider long term best interests at heart. This covers all sorts of areas, one I'm particularly passionate about is the disgusting states of the streets being strewn with litter. That is due to short term narrow minded laziness in most cases, we should all be proud of the environment and make a little effort to keep it tidy, everyone benefits. This was an extreme situation though, as one of the other posters mentioned revising for A levels by candlelight, I'm sure that's not something we'd want to become the norm.
lostlogin 8y ago
> Just because we seemingly did well through a three month crisis does not mean that is a long term sustainable plan. It would be interesting to know more about the effects of that crisis. Presumably many companies kept afloat by methods such as using accumulated stock or putting things on back order and such like. If I was ordered to go down to 3 days rather than 5, I’d be running long days if possible, or doing all the things that took a lot of energy on those days. These things are obviously unsustainable but how much did they come into it?
- NeedMoreTea 8y ago
  Longer days were prohibited. Continuous users of electric had a 65% of usual consumption limit imposed. :) Broadcast TV shutdown at 1030pm, a 50mph speed limit was introduced as was a low max temperature for offices (63F). Hospitals, food shops and newspapers were exempt. Power cuts were often - but because of the regulations you knew when they were due. My parents collected a selection of camping lamps, a good supply of candles, and a single gas ring to connect to the mains gas point by hose as we had an electric cooker. I remember much sitting in candle light wearing coats and blankets in the house. This from a Conservative govt. The dispute and three day week ended when they lost the election to Labour. A little more here: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/releases/2005/nyo/politics.htm http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.natio...
  - Steve44 8y ago
    > This from a Conservative govt. The dispute and three day week ended when they lost the election to Labour. I don't want to get too embroiled in historical politics here but reading http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/6/newsid_2538000/2538623.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/6/... gives :- > 1972: Pay and price freeze aims to curb inflation. The Conservative Government has frozen pay and prices in an attempt to halt spiralling inflation. and > Wages and prices had started to spiral out of control after the collapse of agreements between the previous Labour Government and the unions. > The Conservative Government's moratorium on price and wage increases passed into law as the Counter-Inflation bill. As tends to be the case one change of Government tries to fix an inherited problem and that generates it's own set of problems.
    - NeedMoreTea 8y ago
      It only rated mention as being surprising rather than anything party political. The details were so far removed from what we might expect from the Conservatives. Well, any modern party really. > moratorium on price and wage increases Economically the seventies were rather a mess. A wage freeze would be challenging with double digit inflation. I remember power cuts at other times throughout the decade, I think up until the Thatcher govt came in to push back the unions.
NeedMoreTea 8y ago
That was my first thought when I first heard of this. Despite living through it, and revising for A Levels by candle light, I knew nothing of the surprisingly minor effect on productivity until I saw a BBC documentary looking back.

calewis 8y ago

Would you not agree that ‘pulling together’ should be the norm for a successful society? I agree that the high levels of stress are unhealthy however.

Steve44 8y ago
Yes, I totally agree that everyone should work with the wider long term best interests at heart. This covers all sorts of areas, one I'm particularly passionate about is the disgusting states of the streets being strewn with litter. That is due to short term narrow minded laziness in most cases, we should all be proud of the environment and make a little effort to keep it tidy, everyone benefits. This was an extreme situation though, as one of the other posters mentioned revising for A levels by candlelight, I'm sure that's not something we'd want to become the norm.

lostlogin 8y ago

> Just because we seemingly did well through a three month crisis does not mean that is a long term sustainable plan. It would be interesting to know more about the effects of that crisis. Presumably many companies kept afloat by methods such as using accumulated stock or putting things on back order and such like. If I was ordered to go down to 3 days rather than 5, I’d be running long days if possible, or doing all the things that took a lot of energy on those days. These things are obviously unsustainable but how much did they come into it?

NeedMoreTea 8y ago
Longer days were prohibited. Continuous users of electric had a 65% of usual consumption limit imposed. :) Broadcast TV shutdown at 1030pm, a 50mph speed limit was introduced as was a low max temperature for offices (63F). Hospitals, food shops and newspapers were exempt. Power cuts were often - but because of the regulations you knew when they were due. My parents collected a selection of camping lamps, a good supply of candles, and a single gas ring to connect to the mains gas point by hose as we had an electric cooker. I remember much sitting in candle light wearing coats and blankets in the house. This from a Conservative govt. The dispute and three day week ended when they lost the election to Labour. A little more here: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/releases/2005/nyo/politics.htm http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.natio...
- Steve44 8y ago
  > This from a Conservative govt. The dispute and three day week ended when they lost the election to Labour. I don't want to get too embroiled in historical politics here but reading http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/6/newsid_2538000/2538623.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/6/... gives :- > 1972: Pay and price freeze aims to curb inflation. The Conservative Government has frozen pay and prices in an attempt to halt spiralling inflation. and > Wages and prices had started to spiral out of control after the collapse of agreements between the previous Labour Government and the unions. > The Conservative Government's moratorium on price and wage increases passed into law as the Counter-Inflation bill. As tends to be the case one change of Government tries to fix an inherited problem and that generates it's own set of problems.
  - NeedMoreTea 8y ago
    It only rated mention as being surprising rather than anything party political. The details were so far removed from what we might expect from the Conservatives. Well, any modern party really. > moratorium on price and wage increases Economically the seventies were rather a mess. A wage freeze would be challenging with double digit inflation. I remember power cuts at other times throughout the decade, I think up until the Thatcher govt came in to push back the unions.

NeedMoreTea 8y ago

That was my first thought when I first heard of this. Despite living through it, and revising for A Levels by candle light, I knew nothing of the surprisingly minor effect on productivity until I saw a BBC documentary looking back.