Time called on opt-out talks
By politics.co.uk staff
The UK has preserved its right to opt-out of the EU’s working time directive after long-running talks between the European parliament and government officials collapsed early this morning.
The parliament had been pushing to remove the opt-out which allows people to work more than 48 hours a week for more than five years but was defeated in what has been hailed as a success by the government.
“We refused to be pushed into a bad deal for Britain. We have said consistently that we will not give up the opt-out and we have delivered on that pledge,” said employment relations minister Pat McFadden.
“Everyone has the right to basic protections surrounding the hours that they work, but it is also important that they have the right to choose those hours.
“In the UK and many other member states, choice over working hours has operated successfully for many years.
“The current economic climate makes it more important than ever that people continue to have the right to put more money in their pockets by working longer hours if they choose to do so.”
At least 14 of the EU’s 27 member states support the opt-out. There are particular concerns over the fact on-call time is included in the directive which ministers said would put unbearable pressure on the NHS, a view shared by other governments.
However, trade unions have argued the matter is one of health and safety as allowing people to work more than 48 hours puts pressure on them to do so and increases the risk of accidents.
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: “We are disappointed that another opportunity has been missed to end the UK’s dangerous long hours culture.
“Long hours cause stress, illness and lowers productivity. And when many employers are moving to short-time working, the need for an opt-out of the 48-hour week is even more out of date.
“The UK government still needs to tighten the law on working time, otherwise the EU could take it to court in order to protect UK workers from abuse of the 48 hour week.”
Business secretary Lord Mandelson lauded the efforts of the government’s negotiators in successfully defending the opt-out.
He said: “Millions of people are better off because of the opt-out and I am relieved we have been able to resist its removal.”
Both sides agreed to abandon negotiations following the breakdown of the latest round of talks because MEPs are facing election campaigns in June and could not continue to challenge the opt-out until after the election.
