From four-day week pilots in Spain to 13-hour workdays in Greece — Europe is witnessing competing approaches to working time reform. What role can collective bargaining and policy innovation play in ensuring fair, flexible, and sustainable working time arrangements? And what should be the bargaining and policy agendas over overtime work?

On November 26, 2025, experts from across Europe gathered online for the BARTIME Final Conference, a discussion on how collective bargaining and policy innovation can shape the future of working time.

From four-day week trials to extreme flexibility and rising overtime, the event explored contrasting trends and the need for fair, sustainable, and evidence-based reforms.

CELSI Managing Director Marta Kahancová chaired the closing panel, guiding a discussion on new research findings, bargaining strategies, and the role of institutions in ensuring decent working time arrangements.

🔹 Speakers included:

Paulien Osse (WageIndicator Foundation)

Janna Besamusca (Utrecht University)

Kea Tijdens (WageIndicator Foundation)

Agnieszka Piasna (European Trade Union Institute – ETUI)

Chandra Shekar (Indian National Trade Union Congress – INTUC)

Intan Citra Phonskaningtyas (WageIndicator Foundation)

Ferran Elias Moreno (University of Girona)

Ciprian-Mihai Sarghe (European Labour Authority – ELA)

Marta Kahancová (Central European Labour Studies Institute – CELSI)

Saskia Boumans (de Burcht – Scientific Bureau for the Dutch Trade Union Movement)

Torsten Müller (European Trade Union Institute – ETUI)

Konstantinos Koutsogiannis (European Labour Authority – ELA)

The conference marked the conclusion of the BARTIME project, which develops tools and insights to support social partners in negotiating balanced and future-proof working time solutions.

📺 The full event recording is available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VSQ9UU-nvQ&t=5870s

🔗 Learn more about the BARTIME project: https://www.celsi.sk/en/bartime/

#BARTIME #CollectiveBargaining #WorkingTime #CELSI #FutureOfWork #SocialDialogue #Overtime