New Work Hours Deal

26-05-2006

The UK will be offered a new deal allowing it to keep its opt out from the 48-hour working week, but only if it accepts new limits on its long hours culture.

Alistair Darling, the Trade and Industry Secretary, is said to be ready to strike a deal, provided he secures his main objective of a "legally watertight opt out" at talks in Luxembourg next week.

Austria, who currently hold the presidency for the EU until 30th June, are pushing hard to try to resolve the Working Time Directive opt out issue before the end of their reign.

Proposals have been put forward that allows any employee who works in excess of 48 hours per week to change their mind in an annual contact renewal. Employers would also have to explain why the long hours were required.

However France and Germany are leading a group who want to abolish the UK's Working Time Directive opt out altogether, and so it is unlikely that a final agreement will be reached next week.

Vladimir Spidla, the EU Employment Commissioner, is pushing Britain to go further in an attempt to unite the British and French / German positions. He wants employees to have a one month "cooling off" period after starting a new job to descide whether they want to work more than 48 hours. He also wants an overall cap on the maximum length of the working week, even if a worker agrees to work more than 48 hours.

Finally, Mr Spindla wants the 2003 Working Time Directive to make it clear that "the opt out is the exception and the maximum 48-hour week is the rule".

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