date: 5 January 2004 embargo: For immediate release

Attention: Brussels, industrial, political, and social affairs correspondents

TUC welcomes working time review

Commenting on the news today (Monday) that the European Commission is to embark upon a consultation exercise looking at the operation of working time rules across the EU, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:

' This is a much-needed review. The Commission is right to express concern at the way the Directive has been applied in the UK. We’ve had rules on working time for over five years but because of lax enforcement and the individual opt-out, UK workers still work the longest hours in Europe.

'Evidence collected by the TUC shows that many workers do not know their rights or even if they do, many often feel pressurised by their employers to sign themselves out of working time protection. The opt-out has caused serious problems in the UK, and it cannot be allowed to remain.

'If workers are not to be bullied into working excessive hours, the individual opt-out must go. Only then can we be sure that nobody works more than 48 hours per week. Despite employer claims that long hours should be a matter of choice, excessive working days can put other people at risk. For instance, in a recent successful corporate manslaughter prosecution against Bowles Transport, a lorry driver who had ignored the tachograph rules, fell asleep at the wheel and killed an oncoming motorist.

'It’s about time UK workers got the same protection against bullying bosses and long working days as workers do in the rest of Europe. Removing the individual opt-out would help signal the end of Britain’s unhealthy long hours culture.'

Late last year, the TUC presented a dossier of evidence to EU Social Affairs Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou, calling on Europe to:

• end the UK’s opt-out from the Working Time Directive that allows employees to sign away their right to work no more than 48 hours a week on average.

• stop the UK counting bank holidays against Europe’s four weeks minimum paid holiday rights - other EU countries give their citizens over four weeks paid holiday in addition to public holidays.

• toughen enforcement of working time rights in the UK following evidence of abuse revealed in the EU’s own research; opinion poll evidence; and case studies given to the TUC’s timeline and workSMART web site.

Notes to Editors:

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Contacts:

Media enquiries: Liz Chinchen 020 7467 1248 or 07699 744115 (pager) or email media@tuc.org.uk

Press release (500 words) issued 5 Jan 2004