MEPs Applaud Malta On Tough Stand

09-06-2006

Nationalist MEPs Simon Busuttil and David Casa have welcomed the Maltese government's strong opposition to changes in the EU Working Time Directive with regard to overtime.

A further attempt by the Austrian EU presidency to find a solution to a two-year long dispute over the revision of the contentious Working Time Directive was ditched following opposition by various member states.

Malta joined the coalition of opposing countries, lead by the UK, and defeated the compromise text proposed by the presidency.The two Nationalist MEPs said in a statement that EU law currently gives workers the right to say "yes" or "no" to overtime.

"This right does not belong to employers or to trade unions or to the state. It belongs to the individual workers. And this is how it should stay," they said. Dr Busuttil and Mr Casa recalled that last year, on a proposal of the Socialist Group, the European Parliament had approved an amendment seeking to remove the Working Time Directive opt-out and limit overtime to eight hours per week.

"Unlike wealthier EU countries, Malta is not yet ready to do away with flexibility in its labour market. Until it does, we must hang on to the right of workers to decide if they want to work more than 48 hours per week if they agree to do so."

Dr Busuttil and Mr Casa recalled how, prior to the EU referendum, the Malta Labour Party had stated that, as a result of membership, workers would no longer be able to work overtime.

"Just days before polling day, the MLP had conducted a hysterical scare-campaign on overtime in a bid to secure a rejection of membership. Not only was this false, but three years down the line, workers still have the right to decide on overtime. Not only was this a massive electoral ruse, but ironically, it is now the European Socialists themselves, of which the MLP is a member, that want workers to give up overtime," they said.

The revision of this important EU health and safety law was originally initiated following a ruling by the European Court which stated that all time spent by workers on duty, whether actually working or just making themselves available, should be regarded as proper "working time".

The directive also prevents working weeks of more than 48 hours. However, Malta and other member states are insisting on keeping the possibility of opting out of these provisions as is currently the case.

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