Workers Not Politicians Should Decide Working Time

3.01.58pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 10th May 2005

The European Parliament should not be telling people how long they can work according to Liberal Democrat Employment Spokesperson Liz Lynne MEP.

Liz was speaking ahead of the key vote in Strasbourg tomorrow on whether people should be allowed to opt-out of the working time directive. As ALDE shadow rapporteur for the directive she added that the Parliament was giving more ammunition to Euro-sceptics by seeking to interfere in people's lives when it was not necessary.

She said:

"It is hypocritical for MEPs to tell workers they can't work over 48 hours a week. I cannot remember a week while being an MP or MEP when I worked less than 48 hours and I cannot imagine ever doing so, but that is my choice. We should give the same choice to all other workers except those employees whose work has a direct consequence on life and death decisions. Of course workers are still covered by health & safety legislation in particular the dangerous machinery directive.

"Of course we have to have safeguards to make sure workers are not being exploited and that the opt out is truly voluntary and that workers are not forced to sign it at the same time as the employment relationship begins.

"I have proposed stringent rules that the company must give the employee a clear statement of rights when they start working for them. There should also be a cooling off period of 28 days where the employee can change their mind about opting out of the directive as well as at anytime after that so long as they give their employer reasonable notice.

"Moving to a 12 month reference period would help but short term contracts will not be covered by this as the reference period quite rightly cannot be longer than the contract. That is why we need to maintain the opt-out for the catering, tourism and agriculture industries for example. We don't want to push people in to the black economy instead we want to get them out of the black economy."

As well as voting on whether to keep the individual and collective agreement opt-outs the Parliament is also deciding what constitutes working time. Liz Lynne is arguing that on call time spent at the workplace must be classed as working time.

"The commissions proposals of 'on-call time' mean that doctors will not be considered to be working if they are resting in the hospital. Brief periods of rest at work are not the same as sleeping at home and should never be classed as such."

ENDS