date: Tuesday 29 June 2004 embargo: Immediate release

Attention: Industrial, economic, political correspondents

Working time consultation 'hard to take seriously' says TUC

Responding to the government’s consultation on long hours working launched today (Tuesday), Brendan Barber, TUC General Secretary, said:

'It’s hard to take this consultation seriously. The Minister’s statement makes it clear that the government has made its mind up to resist an effective crackdown on Britain’s long hours culture.

'The government appears to have dismissed the views and research of employee organisations in favour of a sample of letters carefully selected from its mail bag. [see emails from UK workers sent to the EU Commission on long hours abuses]

'The government should stop defending the indefensible and end the UK opt out of the 48 hour working week.'

Working time fact file

• 3.75 million work more than 48 hours a week on average. That’s 500,000 more than in 1992 when there was no long hours protection. (Labour Force Survey - LFS).

• Only one in three people at work know that there is a 48-hour average working week limit.

• The law is widely abused. One in three of those who have signed an opt-out say they were given no choice. (TUC poll August 2003).

• Nearly two out of three people who say they work regularly more than 48 hours a week say they have not been asked to opt out of the working time regulations. (TUC Poll August 2003).

Below are anonymous excerpts of emails sent to the European Commission by UK workers describing long hours abuses in the UK

'Please help, I work for [name of Gateshead based workplace removed]. We don't get our rota for the week commencing until a Sunday. This usually consists of working six days out of the seven, with no time to have a social life outside of work. During school holidays I can start at 9:45am and not finish until 9pm (six days a week). If my day off is Monday one week, then Sunday the next, I am working 13 days in a row. I'm only 16 yrs old and my parents are constantly on my back about how tired I am, but I need to work. Sometimes I only work 5 days a week, but very rarely.'

'I have worked in the catering industry in the UK for the past 6 years, every company that I have worked for has used the opt out clause to bypass the 48 Hour Week. It is commonplace for Catering staff to have to work 60-80 hours per week, very often unpaid for their time if they are salaried. Employers are issuing contracts of employment with the opt out agreement written into the contract. This means that employees have the choice of signing the contract, and agreeing to opt out, or not signing the contract, not agreeing to the opt out, and not having the job. This practice is unacceptable.'

'Working in the Chemical industry is hazardous enough, but what really does increase the risk of accidents is fatigue caused by working more than 48 hours per week.'

' Please help end the UK's long hours culture as I would then be able to have a life and get my health back, and I would like to be able to educate my self better, which I can’t do at the minute due to the excessively long hours I have to work.'

'As a Housekeeper/Cook in private service I have twice signed the opt out clause having been given no choice. Sign or no job! - this has meant that I frequently work a 12 hour minimum day, 5 days a week. I am also expected to be 'on-call' 24 hours a day'

'There is pressure to work whatever hours are required to meet a project deadline at my workplace. Personnel have been asked to sign the opt-out. I’m sure all Managers are expected to do so as part of position of being a Manager.'

'People currently are bullied into working all hours. I came to the job I am now in from a job that worked 60 hours one week and 72 hours the next, on a week-about basis. When I queried the long hours I was told ‘Someone else will do it if you don't want the job...’ If people want jobs they are effectively forced to ‘voluntarily opt out’'.

'Please help end the UK's long hours culture. My own experience as a teacher is that our children are suffering through absent parents who are working long hours especially where there are single parents. I used to be active in my local community as a Councillor but increasingly you have to be unemployed or retired to have time to do anything outside work during the week thus depriving our democratic process of a large talent pool.'

'As a working single mother in the IT field, most jobs in the private sector are unavailable to me because workers in this field are predominantly male and the assumption is that you will be able to work late whenever required, travel whenever necessary and taking time off to care for sick dependants etc would be a problem. This has a serious effect on the income I can expect and the choices of job I do.'

'When I was a temp I was forced (not violently) but forced anyway to sign the opt-out. If I had said no they would not have got me any work. They treated the opt-out as just another piece of paper you sign along with your national insurance number and contact details.'

'My partner often works a 50-60 hour week to try and keep up with his large workload (working in electrical contracting). As a part-time working mother I hardly get to spend any quality time with my partner and child as a family, due to these long hours. This is has had serious effects on the quality of our lives.'

Notes to Editors:

- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

- Register for the TUC's press extranet: a service exclusive to journalists wanting to access

pre-embargo releases and reports from the TUC. Visit www.tuc.org.uk/pressextranet

- A series of TUC rights leaflets are available on our website and from the know your rights line 0870 600 4 882. Lines are open every day from 9am-9pm. Calls are charged at the national rate.

Contacts:

Media enquiries: Ben Hurley 020 7467 1248 or 07626 317903 (pager) or email bhurley@tuc.org.uk

Press release (1,100 words) issued 29 Jun 2004