Working time opt-out ‘must be protected’
Employers are urging the Government to protect the right of UK firms to opt out of the Working Time Directive.
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) warned that the removal of the opt-out clause form the directive to allow employees to work more than 48-hours a week would have ‘a significant or severe’ impact on business.
The CBI published a survey today of 400 firms asking them about their views on what would happen if the European Commission removed the UK’s opt-out when a review is carried out in November.
Sixty per cent of firms claimed that the removal of the opt-out would have ‘a significant or severe’ impact on business. They also warned that it would also undermine their ability to meet customer needs, respond to demand or launch new commercial ventures.
Digby Jones CBI Director General stated, ‘This is about choice. People should have a right to say ‘no’ to long hours and the directive rightly gives them that protection. But they don’t want unions and politicians telling them when they can work or for how long. That would be the over-zealous interference of the nanny state.’
Mr Jones continued, ‘There is a genuine concern among employers and employees that Brussels wants to prevent people having the freedom of choice to work longer hours and earn more money if they want to. The loss of the opt-out would seriously call into question the Commission’s commitment to EU competitiveness.’
However, the TUC’s General Secretary, Brendan Barber, accused bosses of being ‘obsessed’ with making employees work longer hours. He pointed out that the Government’s own research shows that people want to work fewer hours even if this meant less money.
Mr Barber commented, ‘Many workers simply don’t get a choice whether or not to work long hours – some feel bullied into staying late, for others the workplace culture means that leaving on time is seen as letting the team down. Working long hours can lead to unnecessary stress and people with excessive days are more likely to have accidents at work.’
The CBI argued that unions were ‘exaggerating’ claims about abuses by bosses of the opt-out. The CBI stated that the Department for Trade and Industry has uncovered little evidence of a problem and the conciliation service, ACAS, has received few complaints. In addition, the CBI claims that the European Commission has failed to find evidence of a link between use of the opt-out and workplace accidents.
