Working time survey

In 2013, the average collective agreed weekly working time in the European Union was 38.1 hours, the same as in 2012, according to the latest annual survey by the EIRO industrial relations observatory. The survey examined three sectors in detail and the civil service sector again recorded the shortest average agreed normal working week at 38 hours – although this represents an increase of 0.2 hours compared with 2012. There was a small decrease in working hours in the sector in Sweden while the government in Portugal imposed a five-hour increase from 35 to 40 hours although this is being

The EIRO industrial relations observatory has just published its surveys on pay developments and working time for 2012. The working time survey revealed very few changes during the year and includes specific information on developments in local government where overall collectively negotiated and legal provisions on hours were unchanged with the exception of a 0.2 hour decrease in Slovakia and 0.3 hour increase in Sweden. The pay survey found that pay moderation continues to prevail with only five countries showing an increase in real terms: Sweden (+1.7%), Austria (+0.8%), Germany (+0.6%)

The Eurofound annual survey of working time for 2014 reveals few major changes across Europe. At the cross sector level figures for average collectively agreed working time showed small changes in the UK (-0.3 hours), Slovakia (-0.1 hours), Sweden (+0.1 hours) and Spain (+0.5 hours, after an increase of 0.3 hours in 2013. In its sector analysis, there are figures for public administration which show an increase of 1.1 hours in Spain (to a weekly average of 36.7 hours) and a reduction in the UK of 0.5 hours (down to 37.2 hours). [Read more at > Eurofound->http://www.eurofound.europa.eu