SA must reduce public holidays

We have to compete globally with countries like China who have only four public holidays and this results in the erosion of the little global competitiveness we have
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The Chinese government stipulates a five-day workweek with no more than 8 hours a day and no more than 44 hours a week in the Labor Law of People's Republic of China.

The regular working time generally is from Monday to Friday, with Saturday and Sunday off. The Chinese people usually work between 08:00 and 18:00 each day, with a lunch break from 12:00 to 14:00. However, local variations may occur due to the time difference or policy in different cities. For instance, the working day in Xinjiang usually starts from 09:00 or 10:00 due to its longitude.

The working hours of Chinese companies may be from 08:00 to 17:00, 08:30 to 17:30 or 09:00 to 18:00. The official organizations like the government offices usually work from 09:00 to 17:00 with a one-hour siesta, and they do not work on Saturdays and Sundays.

Hospitals, post offices, banks and tourist sights are always open daily from 08:30-09:30 to 16:00-18:00, but the hospital clinics and its first-aid center are usually served for 24 hours. Hotels also offer the round-the-clock service to any lodger. Shops, department stores and supermarkets are open every day from 08:30-09:30 to 21:30, including public holidays. Restaurants and bars are always open from around 10:00 to the late night, sometimes even into the small hours or for all night.

Besides the regular days off (Saturday and Sunday), Chinese people also enjoy the holidays of Spring Festival, Qing Ming Festival, May Day, Dragon Boat Day, Mid-Autumn Day, National Day, and New Year's Day. Take the Spring Festival for an example. According to the state regulations, Chinese people can take three days off, including the December 30th, January 1st and January 2nd of the Chinese lunar calendar. So, during this time, most sectors are closed. Only some service sectors, like banks, post offices, tourist companies and railway stations, are open.

Source

Public holidays (paid):

New Year's Day - 1 day
Spring Festival - 3 days
Qingming - 1 day
May Day - 1 day
Dragon Boat - 1 day
Mid-Autumn Day - 1 day
National Day - 3 days

The above is legal paid holidays

All holidays: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/essential/holidays/calendar.htm

China seems to work less than us and follows by strict discipline, the Olivier Bureau should check their facts.
 
Fulcrum29 said:
The Chinese government stipulates a five-day workweek with no more than 8 hours a day and no more than 44 hours a week in the Labor Law of People's Republic of China.

The regular working time generally is from Monday to Friday, with Saturday and Sunday off. The Chinese people usually work between 08:00 and 18:00 each day, with a lunch break from 12:00 to 14:00. However, local variations may occur due to the time difference or policy in different cities. For instance, the working day in Xinjiang usually starts from 09:00 or 10:00 due to its longitude.

The working hours of Chinese companies may be from 08:00 to 17:00, 08:30 to 17:30 or 09:00 to 18:00. The official organizations like the government offices usually work from 09:00 to 17:00 with a one-hour siesta, and they do not work on Saturdays and Sundays.

Hospitals, post offices, banks and tourist sights are always open daily from 08:30-09:30 to 16:00-18:00, but the hospital clinics and its first-aid center are usually served for 24 hours. Hotels also offer the round-the-clock service to any lodger. Shops, department stores and supermarkets are open every day from 08:30-09:30 to 21:30, including public holidays. Restaurants and bars are always open from around 10:00 to the late night, sometimes even into the small hours or for all night.

Besides the regular days off (Saturday and Sunday), Chinese people also enjoy the holidays of Spring Festival, Qing Ming Festival, May Day, Dragon Boat Day, Mid-Autumn Day, National Day, and New Year's Day. Take the Spring Festival for an example. According to the state regulations, Chinese people can take three days off, including the December 30th, January 1st and January 2nd of the Chinese lunar calendar. So, during this time, most sectors are closed. Only some service sectors, like banks, post offices, tourist companies and railway stations, are open.

Source

Public holidays (paid):

New Year's Day - 1 day
Spring Festival - 3 days
Qingming - 1 day
May Day - 1 day
Dragon Boat - 1 day
Mid-Autumn Day - 1 day
National Day - 3 days

The above is legal paid holidays

All holidays: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/essential/holidays/calendar.htm

China seems to work less than us and follows by strict discipline, the Olivier Bureau should check their facts.
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Short people need less holidays than taller people. Known fact.
 
They can keep the holidays but businesses must stay open and remain operational. Keep economically viable.

Workers should take selected public holidays, its ridiculous that everyone takes Christmas and Easter... we can't shut down the entire economy for these days
 
Billy said:
All people automatically get their birthday as a holiday, so that will leave 9 for use for individual "special days" which must be nominated with the employer.
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What's the point of having your birthday off if your kids are at school and your partner is at work ?
 
Nerfherder said:
They can keep the holidays but businesses must stay open and remain operational. Keep economically viable.

Workers should take selected public holidays, its ridiculous that everyone takes Christmas and Easter... we can't shut down the entire economy for these days
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Really? Christmas generates the most retail expenditure and Easter does wonders for the confectionary industry - and the dentists. Both generate much expenditure on social activities, like domestic tourism.
 
All non international days should go:-
21 March Human Rights Day
27 April Freedom Day
16 June Youth Day incl 17th
9 Aug National Woman's Day
24 Sept Heritage Day
16 Dec Day of Reconciliation

Funny thing is that the government is considering this and they don't do much work anyhow.
 
daveza said:
What's the point of having your birthday off if your kids are at school and your partner is at work ?
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Because it's your day. No kids or SO is a definite advantage. Also no taking cake to work.

I have not worked on my birthday for more than 20 years.
 
Reducing public holidays to improve economic productivity sounds to me like using a band-aid when you got your leg blown off by a landmine.

Endless strikes and a preposterously corrupt and inefficient government do far more to harm economic productivity.
 
Corruption and the ANC is far worse for SA's economy. Start there then we can revisit the public holidays.
 
Get the people to stop striking.

Then we can look into cancelling a public holiday or two.
 
alf101 said:
Negative, then we can add a few more.
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Lol, ok ok. I am sure if you did the math and the country went without one single strike for a year we could effectively add another four or five Public holidays :p
 
Albereth said:
Really? Christmas generates the most retail expenditure and Easter does wonders for the confectionary industry - and the dentists. Both generate much expenditure on social activities, like domestic tourism.
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Its the build up to the Christmas period that generates economic activity.... not the holiday.

The issue is that the business world closes and the slowdown affects the economy for longer.
 
The issue is that the business world closes and the slowdown affects the economy for longer.
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The business world has survived perfectly well for 1980 odd Christmases - in fact they quite likely would collapse without it.
 
Nerfherder said:
Its the build up to the Christmas period that generates economic activity.... not the holiday.

The issue is that the business world closes and the slowdown affects the economy for longer.
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Without the holiday there would be no build up. And then what Dave said.

And then some other guy who phone into the radio station said - knowing when the holidays are allows businesses to plan for them and they take it in their stride.
 
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