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UK stalls progress on working hours limit

The UK government has led a minority group of European ministers which on 2 June successfully blocked moves to end the UK 'opt-out' from the European Working Time Directive’s 48 hour ceiling on the working week. EU employment ministers were to make a decision on removing the clause, after the European Parliament in May voted to scrap the opt-out by 2012 (Risks 206). However, enough ministers opposed the plan to prevent the vote taking place. The issue now returns to the parliament and is likely to go through a conciliation process and will drag on into 2006. The European Parliament and a number of EU member states want all nations to uphold a working week of no longer than 48 hours. But the UK and other countries want employees to be able to work additional hours if they volunteer to do so. The UK says the opt-out is vital for competitiveness and job creation - although a report this week from the TUC presented strong evidence that the opposite is true and said most long hours workers want to work fewer hours. TUC general secretary Brendan Barber commented: 'It is no surprise that the EU is in crisis when a small UK-led minority can block this compromise on working time. The Commission proposals already went a very long way to meeting employer concerns - far more than the much more balanced position put forward by the Parliament.' He added: 'This does not settle the issue. Other member states who wanted a compromise that met their concerns about on-call working, particularly in the health sector, will not be satisfied with this delay. UK ministers have made the mistake of going to the last ditch on behalf of the CBI. Britain's long hours workers will be the main losers from this political brinkmanship.'

• TUC news release. The Guardian. BBC News Online. The Scotsman.
• TUC It’s about time and Changing Times webpages.

Briefing document (400 words) issued 3 Jun 2005