European Trade Unions stand firm on NO to Working Time Individual Opt-Out

European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU)

Press Communication: Brussels

Wednesday 27 October (immediate release)

European Trade Unions stand firm on NO to Working Time Individual Opt-Out

Leaked Finnish Presidency proposal shows "opt-out well and truly redundant", says Union Leader

(26 October, 2006) This week has seen intense activity in Brussels on the Working Time Directive dossier. The Finnish Presidency proposal, a copy of which has been seen by EPSU, aims to keep the individual opt-out as part of the package of any compromise on working time. According to European Federation of Public Service Unions General Secretary, Ms. Carola Fischbach-Pyttel, "this compromise would, in effect, render the Working TIme Directive meaningless". She stated that all of the nuanced calculations over maximum hours, definition of on-call time, and period of reference to calculate average working hours, are nullified by keeping the individual opt-out on the table. "Keeping the opt-out sends a terrible message to the citizens of Europe at a time when they are looking for signs that the EU is about more than the market. Essentially the Council of Ministers is telling people that the market is an obligation while social policy and good health and safety standards are simply options". Ms. Fischbach-Pyttel noted that the number of provisos already existing in the text, particularly the possible calculation of working hours over a 12 month period, provide more than enough flexibility. "All that remains is the bizarre "right" of an individual to endanger his own health and safety and the health and safety of those around him".

Social Affairs Ministers are due to meet today on this issue. EPSU have mobilised its 200 plus affilaites to contact their respective Governments. As has been noted frequently, EPSU fully supports the European Parliament compromise on working time which was passed with an absolute majority on 11 May 2005. The CERCAS report, was adopted with a vote which transcended party lines and instead looked at practical ways to solve the impasse.

Ends

EPSU is the European Federation of Public Service Unions. It is the largest federation of the ETUC. 8 million public service workers from over 200 trade unions are members. They organise workers in the energy, water and waste sectors, health and social services and local and national administration.

For information please contact:

EPSU, Brian Synnott, Communications officer - + 32 2 250 1089 - email: [email protected]