On November 15, 2016, the European Sunday Alliance held its third European conference. The theme of the meeting was “Work-Life-Balance 4.0 – Challenges in a time of digitalization.” Over 100 participants discussed how digitalization impacts all aspects of our lives and how a healthy work-life-balance can be secured.
Remember, this is the European Sunday Alliance. Their purpose is to promote Sunday rest, which is foundational to Sunday worship. Their aim is to establish stronger Sunday rest laws and to encourage respect for Sunday.
During the meeting the European Sunday Alliance launched a “Resolution for a better work-life-balance and synchronized free time in the age of digitalization.” Synchronized free time means that society at large has the same time off from work each week. The resolution is aimed at activating civil society and politicians to use opportunities for a better work-life-balance. In other words, their purpose is to encourage more respect for Sunday, which is the designated synchronized free time.
Participants included members of the European parliament, the president of the Group III of the European Economic and Social Committee.
Thomas Mann, a member of the European Parliament highlighted that “work-life-balance is a crucial factor in the debate on Health and Safety at Work.” During his speech he said, “We have to defend workers against the philosophy of the always-available employee. Our message to the (European) institutions,” he added, “We stand for a work-free day for all European citizens! I demand to establish the Sunday as work-free day within the working time directive revision!”
The working time directive is a regulation provided by the European Parliament to all nations concerning working hours, overtime, and other matters. Mann’s demand is forceful.
Evelyn Regner, another member of the European Parliament said, “Digitalization brings new opportunities but it also contains risks for a healthy work-life-balance. Workers must be able to disconnect in their home life.” Then she added, “The right to have breaks, to be unavailable during leisure time and to have at least one work-free day per week has to be secured for all workers in Europe.”
Regner also spoke on a second topic. “Life beyond work and digitalization – The need for unavailability.” She underlined the value of breaks; not only for employees, but also for the productivity and creativity of companies themselves. The Auxiliary Bishop of Reims, H. E. Dr. Bruno Fellet endorsed Regner’s statement. He pointed out that young people especially, who don’t have high-level skills have difficulty making ends meet so they take more than one unskilled job, which would make work-life-balance impossible.
Hannes Kreller, from the Alliance for the Free Sunday Germany, stressed the importance of synchronized free time to participate in social life, in sports, or culture. “Everybody is doing yoga or fitness today to find an individual way to escape the so-called “rat race.” However, what is needed is a common and consistent approach to work-life-balance for the whole of society.
Sunday rest and worship is the aim of the European Sunday Alliance. As they promote the various aspects of this, they are expressing the very reasons why God gave us the seventh-day as His day of rest. The European Union is the resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire. A push for Sunday rest should not surprise the student of Bible prophecy.
“And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him… Revelation 13:8.
Comments
Craig
Tuesday November 29th, 2016 at 04:07 PMAbsolutely amazing!
People need to hear God’s present truth as it is in Jesus to keep the seventh day sabbath.
God’s way is the only way.
Hector
Saturday December 3rd, 2016 at 01:01 PMI hope you do realize that the Sabbath day is Saturday not Sunday. If not I suggest you do some research.
Terri
Sunday December 4th, 2016 at 01:12 AMAmen! Exodus 20;8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
The 7th day of the week is Saturday! But Bible prophecy says a forced Sunday law will happen! This is simply a sign of those times.
Frederick Asare
Thursday December 1st, 2016 at 04:45 PMThe only way we can fully and completely understand world events and issues is look at them under the microscope of the word of God. No matter what the issue might be, the word of God is the discerner of the innermost thoughts of man be it on any field of thoughts and in any fram of mind.
Read Rev13:17
Frederick Asare
Sunday February 19th, 2017 at 08:33 PMWho can doubt the word of God?
The book of Revelation through inspiration,
has already prophesied of such a moment,
whereby, Sunday worship would be the order of the day.
How wonderful and trustworthy the word of God is! Rev13:14-17 Amen!
The book The Great Controversy also highlights
the same point in the chapter entitled”America in Prophecy . The image and the mark of the of the
will be the decisive factor as to whose allegiance
one belongs; whether to that of God’s whose laws are unchangeable Mat5:17-19 or to that of man-made laws-Dan7:25 which are in opposition and antagonistic to that of God’s? May the Holy Spirit help us to be on God’s side who is the Creator and the Sustainer of the entire universe Col1:16Amen!