News and features

Fri, 24 Jun 2011

Stalemate in working time opt-out talks

UK workers will still be able to opt out of the EU Working Time Directive, despite proposals by the European parliament to phase this option out.

Employees in the UK will continue to be able to opt out of the EU Working Time Directive after talks among member states, the European parliament and European Commission (EC) have broken down.

The UK was among the member states that opposed the European parliament's proposal which suggested the phasing out over three years of employees' right to choose to work more than 48 hours a week.

Time spent on call, in staff training or at working lunches also counts towards the 48-hour week for the purposes of the directive.

Employment relations minister Pat McFadden welcomed the failed negotiations, saying the government delivered on its pledge to not "be pushed into a bad deal for Britain".

Mr McFadden said choice over working hours has operated successfully in the UK and other member states for several years, adding that it is even more important in the current economic climate that employees "continue to have the right to put more money in their pockets by working longer hours if they choose to do so".

"Everyone has the right to basic protections surrounding the hours that they work, but it is also important that they have the right to choose those hours," he added.

Business secretary Lord Mandelson expressed his relief that UK workers will be able to continue to opt out of the directive, claiming that "millions of people" are better off because of it.

The government's resistance to the proposals by the European parliament was also welcomed by David Frost, the director general of the British Chambers of Commerce.

He described the UK's flexible labour market as one of the economy's "key strengths", adding that continuing to allow people to work longer hours "will be crucial in helping businesses drive the UK out of recession".

Following the collapse of negotiations, it will be up to the EC to decide how it will respond to the ongoing disagreement about the EU Working Time Directive.

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