(Wednesday, 5 November, 2008) The Employment and Social Affairs Committee of the European Parliament produced a clear vote in favour of keeping working time. The issues at stake were the individual opt-out, the definition of on-call time in the workplace, and the reference period to calculate an average working week.
Under the patient stewardship of rapporteur Alejandro Cercas MEP (Spain) the Committee voted almost three-to-one in favour of keeping the principles of fair working time in place. ‘This will give a clear message to the Council that workers rights can’t be simply ignored’ stated EPSU General Secretary Carola Fischbach-Pyttel, “we see this as a strong indicator for the plenary vote on 17 December’.
EPSU affiliates are being asked to mobilise ahead of the Parliament Plenary vote in Strasbourg. ‘This is an issue that is at the core of our work”, continued Ms. Fischbach-Pyttel. “Low-paid workers need this health and safety protection. Recognition of the risks of long hours has not been forthcoming from the Business community”. The EPSU General Secretary expressed confidence that the European Parliament continue to show its support for fair working time in the EU.
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