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date: Thursday 2 April 2009

embargo: For immediate release

TUC disappointed that Government is still defending excessive working time

Commenting on the lack of agreement to end the UK's opt-out of the working time directive at a conciliation meeting last night (Wednesday) between MEPs and employment Ministers, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:

'We are disappointed the UK is part of a minority of EU governments that continue to block progress towards ending our damaging long hours culture.

'The health hazards and lack of productivity caused by excessive working time are well proven. And with people being made redundant or reducing their hours, the business lobby's insistence that they still need long hours looks even more out of date.

'The working time directive will be under the spotlight again at a third meeting of MEPs and employment ministers later this month. The TUC urges the Government to change its position and put an end to dangerous long hours working.'

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- Scientific studies on the health impact of long hours working include:

Overtime and Extended Shifts: Recent Findings on Illnesses, Injuries and Health Behaviours US, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, April 2004. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2004-143/pdfs/2004-143.pdf

Working time: Its impact on safety and health, Anne Spurgeon, International Labour Organisation (ILO), 2003 http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/condtrav/pdf/wtwo-as-03.pdf

Working Long Hours, Health and Safety Laboratory, HSE, 2002 http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/hsl_pdf/2003/hsl03-02.pdf

- Wednesday's meeting is the second of three formal conciliation meetings between the European Parliament and the Social Affairs Council. The third meeting must take place before Thursday 7 May.

- If it is agreed that the opt-out should be phased out then the process will start in 2012. A series of ceilings on working time will then step down in order to phase in full compliance with the 48 hour limit on average weekly working time. The limit is generally calculated over a 17 week averaging period.

- A phase out would render the transition down into bite-sized chunks.

- The table below shows the detailed working time of employees currently working more than 48 hours. Note that more than one third of long hours workers are only exceeding the 48 hour limit by one or two hours.

Proportion of people working more than 48 hours a week

Source: LFS Summer 2008

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Contacts:

Media enquiries:
Liz Chinchen T: 020 7467 1248 M: 07778 158175 E: media@tuc.org.uk
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Press release (500 words) issued 2 Apr 2009