Working world days off

Working World: Days Off

The president of Gambia has said all public workers will have three-day weekends starting from February 1st. President Yayha Jammeh has added Friday to the regular weekend of Saturday and Sunday. He wants people to farm, rest more and pray. However, he also announced that government employees would work from 8am to 6pm Mondays to Thursdays. In addition: "Schools, banks and all other affected places are free to work on Saturdays." This means that people may have split weekends, and work an extra 10 hours a week. Government workers currently work from 8am to 4pm. Working until 6pm means eight hours extra, which could become ten if they have to work on Saturdays too.

The president said the new working hours would, "allow Gambians to devote more time to prayers, social activities and agriculture". He said people could, "go back to the land and grow what we eat and eat what we grow for a healthy and wealthy nation". Gambia's 'Freedom Newspaper' criticised the president's idea. It said the three-day weekend, "is going to [have a bad] effect on the economy and the country. Many workers…are worried that the changes are going to create problems for them." The paper added: "Gambia's economy and infrastructure have collapsed thanks to Jammeh's poor leadership." Gambia is the smallest nation on the African continent, with a population of just 1.8 million.

"Online activities, the mp3 and printable handouts are available for this lesson at http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com"http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1301/130124-weekends.html

ガンビア政府大統領は全ての公務員は週末休3日制を2月1日から開始すると発表した。ヤイハ・ジャメ大統領は土曜日、日曜日に加え金曜日を週末として加えました。大統領は人々に農業をし、より休息と祈りの時間をとってもらいたいとしています。しかし、大統領は政府で働く授業員は月曜から木曜の早朝8時から夕方6時まで働く事も発表しました。さらに「学校、銀行、その他全て影響があると思われる施設は土曜日に働くことは自由である」と述べています。これは、これに関わる人々は週末を分割しなければならなくなる可能性があり、そして10時間にわたり余計に働く事を意味しています。公務員の就労時間は現在午前8時から午後4時です。午後6時まで勤務するという事は、8時間の延長です、また、土曜日も勤務しなければならないという事となれば、10時間の労働時間増という事になります。

大統領は新たな労働時間体制は「ガンビア人が祈り、社会活動そして農業に対してより時間を割けることができるようになる」としています。大統領は「人々は大地に戻り、我々の健康で豊かな国土が成り立つために我々の食料を育み、育てたものを食べる」事ができると述べています。ガンビアの「フリーダム新聞」は、この大統領の方針を批評しています。それによれば、週末休3日制は「国と経済に悪影響を与えるだろう、多くの労働者は...この変化は彼らにとって問題を生み出すのではないかと心配している」 としています。さらには誌は「ガンビアの経済と生活基盤はジャメ大統領の頼りないリーダーシップの”おかげ”で崩壊した」と付け加えています。「ガンビアはたった人口180万人のアフリカ大陸で最小の国家なのです」

Working World: Days Off

リーディングを読む前：

Which days are part of the weekend?

How would you feel about Friday also being a weekend day?

What would you do with your extra free time?

If the government asked you to spend every Friday growing a garden and spending time with your family, would you do it?

Why do people work overtime at companies and schools in Japan if they don’t get paid extra money? What is their motivation to stay late at work?

リーディングを読む前：

全ての公務員___________________________________

政府で働く授業員___________________________________

大統領の針を批評しています___________________________________

アフリカ大陸___________________________________

Working World: Days Off

Reading Questions

(1) What big change does the president of Gambia want to make in his country?

(2) How many days are usually in a weekend?

(3) What does the president hope people will do with the extra time?

(4) Instead of working on Friday, how does the president want people to make up the working time?

(5) How long is a working day in Gambia now?

(6) How long will a working day be if the president’s proposal is approved?

(7) People who work for what kinds of places will be allowed to work on Saturdays?

(8) What are 2 reasons why some people are unhappy with the president’s plan?

(9) Is the Gambian newspaper supportive of the president?

(10) How many people live in Gambia?

Working World: Days Off

After Reading

Would you prefer a 3 day weekend with longer hours during the week, or a traditional schedule?

Does it matter to you if your days off are consecutive (like Saturday and Sunday) or is it ok for you if they are separate (like Friday and Sunday...working Saturday)?

You have to work 40 hours per week for your job...but you can choose WHEN you will work. What would be the perfect schedule for you?

Working World: Days Off

weekend activities

Working World: Days Off

work schedules

Working World: Days Off

Grammar Day 9

(1) 何か食べようか？＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

(2) 行きましょうか。＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

(3) 3時に行きましょうか。＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

(4) ぜひ見てほしい。＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

(5) 注意が必要だ。＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

(6) あなたは休んだ方がいい。＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

(7) あなたはそれを食べない方がいいです。＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

(8) 約束は守るべきです。＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

(9) 私たちは助け合うべきである。＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

(10)私たちはこれから海へ行きませんか。＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

(11) ご自分で作ってみたらどうですか。＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿