Work Less Party of British Columbia

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The Work Less Party is a political party in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The party was founded by Conrad Schmidt.

The primary aim of this party is to move to a 32-hour work week.

It nominated ten candidates for the 2005 provincial election, who won a total of 1496 votes (0.09% of the provincial total). None were elected. Denise Brennan had the best result of the party's candidates: 213 votes (1.07% of the total) in Vancouver-Hastings.

1 Policy
2 Election goals for 2005
3 2005 Vancouver municipal election
4 See also
5 External link

[edit] Policy

The party avocates shortening the work week to 32 hours, prohibiting unpaid overtime work, and changing the “preverse reward system” in the payroll tax system to encourage hiring additional workers, instead of giving current employees overtime. The party argues:

Experience from other jurisdictions indicates that roughly one-third of the cost of a shorter workweek will be offset by higher productivity, and one-third will be offset by the tax savings that result from reduced unemployment, so the financial cost of going four-day workweek will be a 6% drop in your take-home pay.

The party argues that “these measures will create full employment in BC, and therefore ensure that increases in productivity are reflected in higher wages”, and that “the changes will strengthen families and communities, make workers happier, and make the planet healthier”.[1]

[edit] Election goals for 2005

Champion the economic, environmental and social advantages of a reduced work week.
Endorse progressive candidates of other parties who believe in a shorter work week.
Work on community-enriching projects such as the party's theatre production, community forums, and parties.
Encourage people to vote.

[edit] 2005 Vancouver municipal election

In the 2005 Vancouver mayoral election the Work Less Party nominated Ben West as a candidate for mayor. West was the Work Less Party's West Vancouver-Capilano riding candidate for the 2005 provincial election where he placed fifth of five candidates with 118 votes (0.59%), but actually won the riding in Student Vote BC. At the time of the municipal election West was serving his fourth term on Capilano College's Board of Governors and was the Chairperson of the Capilano Students Union. The party's website states that the "Work Less Party municipal platform is focused on ecological literacy, affordable housing, and government accountability."