EU Working Time proposals are surreal !

VENUE Résidence Palace - International Press Center Brussels, Rue de la Loi 155, Bruxelles

TIME 10h00-12h00
DATE Thursday 17 March 2005

Participants

Mr. ALEJANDRO CERCAS, MEP (reporter on working time)

Mr. STEPHEN HUGHES, MEP

CAROLA FISCHBACH-PYTTEL, EPSU General Secretary

CATELENE PASSCHIER, ETUC Confederal Secretary

JULIO CASTELLO LACUERDA, (UGT) Spanish EPSU Executive Committee Member




Outline:

The European Parliament has started the process of its response to the ill-considered European Commission proposals to reorganize the working time directive. This has resulted in the draft report by MEP Cercas. This report successfully introduces a realistic perspective to the debate. The report is to be tabled for discussion at the EP Employment and Social Committee on 15 March.




The Cercas report clearly outlines that:
- On-call work in the workplace should be regarded as working time (as ruled by the European court of Justice in the Jaeger case)
- The individual opt-out should be phased out by 1 January 2010
- The reference period for calculation of average working time should be first and foremost, based on health and safety considerations.

These are well-reasoned, clear and logical proposals.

Our press conference will outline how the European Trade Union Community and the European Parliament are working together to find practical solutions to the issue of working time. We will demonstrate that the Commission proposal is unworkable and indeed surreal.

Contact person:
EPSU -Brian Synnott +32 2 250 10 80 - [email protected]

-ends-

The European Federation of Public Services Unions is the largest federation affiliated to the ETUC and represents 8 million workers providing services to the public in health and social care, local, regional and central government, and utilities in energy, water and waste.

• Invitation Press conference 17 March