Work more and work faster

If the news that Belgium approves the four-day working week is so surprising, it is not because of the novelty of the approach or because of an improvement in rights that does not exist, since the same hours will be maintained, but because of the perceived distance between the such a logical ordering of work that it suggests and the crumbling reality that we live in.

In the real world, at least the one in which many souls live, health workers have vacations suspended wave after wave while hiring continues to be lacking;

their days are stretched beyond what is humanly advisable;

Uber or conventional taxi drivers arrive at the door haggard and tired by chaining customers over a decent schedule, since that way they will earn a little more;

the caregivers,

maids and cleaners spend the day on the subway or transport to finish off two hours here, two hours there, wishing to one day reach 40 weekly (for them it would be a dream);

waiters sign contracts for less time than they have to fulfill.

And etc.

Improving hours and reducing dedication to work in order to reconcile and have a life of one's own is a historical aspiration that has been slowly making its way.

Very slowly, and with heavy braking.

The reality of continuous communication and telecommuting is that, in many professions, the working day stretches to infinity, because not even sleeping serves to disconnect when notifications can sneak into the pillow.

Charles Chaplin was tightening the nuts in

and doing it right wasn't enough, since the machine was speeding up until it infected him with the spasms and tics he was taking home, man.

We can also tighten the screws well, but that is not enough in a world that requires everything more intensely, faster, more multitasking.

At any moment, the machine will gobble us up like Charlot when we insist on tightening a better nut.

And we will disappear into gear.

The nut, yes, will be great.

Do you remember the movie?

When Chaplin lost control of the production chain and left it, he began to see nuts where there were eyes, breasts or buttons.

He went crazy.

And we don't know if we will continue to tighten imaginary nuts after working ten hours a day for four days a week, or eight hours for five days, because the acceleration of the machinery and the constant connection drive us as crazy as it does him.

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