EU's Working Time Directive review must not make it harder for people to work
Posted, April 12, 2010 @ 00:00
Brussels, 24th March 2010 -- The European Commission's review of the Working Time Directive should start from the assumption that people should be free to choose their working hours, Julie Girling MEP, Conservative employment spokesman in the European Parliament said today.
The commission has launched a review of EU rules on Working Time and today it has requested the views of workers' and employers' representatives. The previous attempt at reviewing the directive stalled last year after Socialist MEPs - led by British Labour MEPs - refused to drop their dogged determination to scrap the ability of British workers to opt-out of the 48-hour week limit. Fortunately, national governments and Conservative MEPs were able to cause the review to fall, leaving the UK opt-out intact.
However, the directive still needs a revision to clarify issues such as on-call time, following European Court of Justice judgments and Mrs Girling has said that Labour MEPs are likely to once again side with the trade union interest to undermine the national interest.
Mrs Girling said:
"This review should start from the position that people know better than politicians how to run their lives. It should not be for Brussels to stop people from working at any time, but especially not during these tough times.
"This review should be seen as an opportunity to tear up the duff Working Time Directive. Instead, I fear that commissioner Andor dresses this up as a review, but he has already told us at his confirmation hearing that he wants to harmonise, and that means ending the opt-out.
"In the UK, over three million people choose to opt-out of the Working Time directive. Their voices need to be heard.
"We rely on the opt-out to keep the costs of public services down. Services like retained fire-fighters and care homes would be hit hard if working time restrictions are brought in.
"Once again this review will open the door for Labour MEPs, who are in the pockets of trade unions, to undermine our opt-out. It is time Labour MEPs supported the national interest and not the union interest."