Euro MPs’ blow to Blair on work hours

Report of vote in the European Parliament, Strasbourg, 11 May 2005 on the proposed Directive to amend the existing Working Time Directive. MEPs want the right of individual workers to opt out of the maximum 48 hour working week to be scrapped three years after the new working hours directive enters into force (Amendment 20 adopted with 378 votes in favour, 262 against with 15 abstentions). They also want hours 'on-call' to count as working time in most cases. Parliament took these decisions when it adopted a legislative report by Alejandro Cercas (PES, ES) by 345 votes to 264 against, with 43 abstentions.

The proposed changes to the Working Time Directive on health and safety grounds still need to be approved by the Council of Ministers. The abolition of the 'opt-out' would most affect the UK.

European Parliament: Daily Notebook, 11.5.05: Working hours opt-out to end: on-call time to count as working time http://europarl.europa.eu/omk/sipade2?PUBREF=-//EP//TEXT+PRESS+DN-20050511-1+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN&LEVEL=2&NAV=S

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