Businesses would be given incentives to participate in a national four-day week trial, under a PN government.

The proposal, announced in the party's election manifesto on Thursday night, is part of a new 'social pact' that also includes the introduction of a living wage.

The PN's manifesto gave no detail about how the scheme would work or what incentives would be offered.

The Malta Council for Economic and Social Development proposed a similar trial for the country last year.

At the time, Finance Minister Clyde Caruana ruled out moving towards the model at that stage, saying the government would be willing to discuss a four-day work week once worker productivity and skillsets improved.

A number of trials of the four-day week model, which sees workers paid the same amount for fewer hours, have taken place across the world in recent years as the COVID-19 pandemic changed people's working environment. 

Researchers in Iceland said a four-day week trial run by Reykjavík City Council and the national government showed productivity remained the same or improved in the majority of work places that took part.

Not-for-profit group 4 Day Week Global has also run pilot projects in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, the US and the UK. And France has also considered reducing their current 35-hour work week to 32 hours, effecitvely a four-day week. 

Other economic measures the PN suggested included a €1 billion fund to create new economic sectors, VAT for restaurants and bars reduced to 7% and a 50% tax credit for hotels to carry out refurbishment works and improvements to their facilities.