Title: Britain is facing return of three-day week | The Independent | The Independent
Headings: Britain is facing return of three-day week
Britain is facing return of three-day week
Shorter hours would be preferable to mass unemployment, say government sources
When the three-day week crippled Britain

Content: Kenneth Clarke, the new shadow Secretary of State for Business, last night accused Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling of "panicking" over the recession. Ministers were treating voters "like fools" by claiming they could see the "green shoots" of recovery, Mr Clarke wrote in the News of the World. Figures from the British Chambers of Commerce, which represent 100,000 firms, show that 39 per cent of businesses are planning to cut hours. Many firms in the car industry have introduced or are considering a three-day week, such as Bentley Motors in Crewe and Nissan in Sunderland. But the practice is spreading to the rest of the manufacturing sector, and business leaders fear it is only a matter of time before other industries resort to the measure. Mr Taylor, of JCB, said: " We would rather go to a shorter working week than lay people off." Three-day weeks have been backed by the unions, whose members are happier to take pay cuts than lose their entire salary and pension benefits. Government sources said there were issues about whether to restrict compensation to the car industry or apply it to all firms. The CBI refused to comment last night, but a source said some firms would be able to reduce output to three days more easily than others.