Union urges MEPs to end working time opt-out
Ministers should seriously consider the health effects of working long hours and decide to permanently terminate the opt-out clause to the European Working Time Directive, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has urged.
The opt-out clause practised in the UK allows workers at different levels of career development to put in more than 48 hours per week if they choose but MEPs voted for its removal last year.
A conciliation committee meeting is being held in Brussels today (Wednesday, April 1st) to reach an agreement on the plans, which are opposed by the UK government and business groups like the Confederation of British Industry.
Brendan Barber, general secretary of the TUC, said: "It is hard to justify employers' claims that the UK needs long hours working at a time when many workers are being made redundant or put on short-time.
"It is about time that employers thought about improving productivity rather than continuing to demand excessive hours. Exhausted employees simply cannot produce top-quality work."
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Comments
I agree to this article posted. It is not all about the load of work, but how is the employee doing? Nowadays, there are some companies who are looking at the condition of their employees to have an effective work done every day. We're hoping that in the near future, all companies follow the same system for their employers.
The working time opt out clause is WRITTEN INTO my working contract. I cannot work for my employer if I don't sign it. So how exactly is it benefiting anyone? What a pointless piece of legislation.