Gambian president Adama Barrow is trying to draw a distinction between church and state, a line that did not exist under former president Yahya Jammeh.
Barrow is now requiring public sector employees to work half days on Fridays, in addition to the four day work week put in place by Jammeh. Jammeh implemented the four-day work week policy in 2013, which allowed public sector employees to have Fridays off. Jammeh insisted that the country’s population, which is 90% Muslim, should use their Friday off to pray, socialize, and tend to crops.
Barrow’s decision to adjust the work week in this manner helps to create a separation between church and state by not mandating a day off for religious reasons. The separation of church and state allows for the people of Gambia to have the liberty to practice religion as they please, without encouragement or mandate by the government.
While the work week has been extended to five days, the number of hours during the rest of the days has decreased, making the work week a total of three-and-a-half-hours shorter. Previously, public sector employees were required to work 40 hours a week, from 08:00 to 18:00, Monday through Thursday. Now, the official work hours are 08:00 to 16:00 Monday through Thursday, and 08:00 to 12:30 on Friday – totaling 36-and-a-half hours per week.
This action is one of Barrow’s first actions since taking over for former president Yayha Jammeh. Jammeh refused to step down after losing the election to Barrow, but eventually stepped down on January 20th after threats of forced military removal from neighboring countries. Jammeh has since fled to Equatorial Guinea.
During the crisis Barrow traveled to Senegal for safety and was formally inaugurated there before returning to Gambia last week, but Barrow is set to have a ceremonial second inauguration for the people of Gambia on February 18th.
Photo Credit: Afolabi Sotunde/Reuters
Nicholas Amato
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