Billionaire Mexican businessman Carlos Slim – ranked 8th in the Forbes list of the richest people on the planet – declared on Thursday in Avilés that it is necessary to implement a twelve-hour work day, three days a week, and delay retirement until age 75. to accommodate more workers in the labor market.
Carlos Slim expressed himself in media statements in Avilés, where he participated in the XXVIII Plenary Meeting of the Círculo Montevideo Foundation, of which he is a part. He did this when asked about his opinion on the reduction of working hours proposed in the agreement between the PSOE and the Sumar Government.
“I think that reducing the schedule like that is stupid; I think that what I know, I’ve said it many times, is that you have to work three days, twelve hours a day, three days to make room for three more people to work for another three days and retire at seventy-five, not sixty-five or sixty,” explained the businessman.
Carlos Slim remembers that “we live longer” and in all the countries of the world with social, pension, and retirement policies, labor debts due to retirement are very high, more than the resources of the State. “It is very important that retirement is not too early,” he insisted.
The businessman emphasized the need to integrate the entire population into the economic and labor system and stressed that the best investment is to combat poverty, so he saw it as reasonable for them to work fewer hours to make room for other workers.
He also stressed that artificial intelligence (AI) will increase productivity and it will create fewer problems at work.
“Then you have to do what I mentioned, work fewer days, three days, not four, not five, three, more hours, more years, and by having more people, to cause new need for new activities, entertainment will be important, sport, etc.”, said Carlos Slim who insisted that “this is fundamental, necessary for marginalized people to participate in the economy, with good education, training and employment.”
Regarding the war conflicts experienced, the Mexican businessman considers that “they are absurd situations that should not happen.”
