Long haul ahead for working time rules

Date: 02/10/1997

By Michael Mann

FRENCH enthusiasm for proposed new EU-wide rules governing working hours in the transport sector looks unlikely to be echoed by many of its EU partners when transport ministers meet next week.

With their social affairs counterparts due to discuss the European Commission's proposals to extend the scope of the Working Time Directive later this year, the Luxembourg presidency is keen to give transport ministers the chance to air their opinions beforehand. Transport workers are the largest group excluded from current EU legislation.

Disappointed at the shortcomings of the original directive, Social Affairs Commissioner Pádraig Flynn tabled a White Paper this summer suggesting ways in which the excluded sectors - including transport and oil rig workers, fishermen and trainee doctors - could be brought within the remit of the legislation.

Flynn has already conceded that it will be impossible to draw up a single, uniform set of rules to govern the weekly hours worked by those excluded from the legislation initially agreed in 199 He is hoping that EU governments, unions and employers will come up with some ideas on how current rules can be fleshed out, possibly to include some annual limitation on hours for groups of workers such as lorry drivers, airline cabin crews and sailors.

But two discussions on the issue in specialist transport working groups have seen France alone expressing outspoken support for harmonised EU regulations - and officials in other countries believe Paris has a hidden agenda. “France has serious domestic problems and cannot force unions and owners to agree more flexible arrangements. They see European harmonisation as a way to bypass this problem,” said one.

Encouraged by the UK's new EU and worker-friendly line, British officials told their colleagues that “the new government seeks fair and decent conditions for workers”, but left them none the wiser about London's actual intentions.

Other countries claim it is too early to give a clear response to plans. “This is quite sensitive for several delegations, who feel the transport sector was excluded for a reason. We have domestic rules of our own and don't see how EU laws could add much value,” said one official.

Some countries are likely to be fairly open to extending the directive to non-mobile workers in the transport industry. But the question of maximum working hours remains highly controversial.

Transport Commissioner Neil Kinnock, whose staff are looking at new initiatives for the sector, will use next Thursday's (9 October) transport ministers' meeting to sound them out on how far he can go.

Flynn will outline his plans at a meeting of social affairs ministers on Tuesday (7 October) but there will be no debate until they meet again in December.