WA25

Business leaders will 'fight for choice' over working hours

The Confederation of British Industry has declared that it will fight ‘tooth and nail’ against a possible removal of the right to opt out of the EU working time directive.

Currently, individual countries have the ability to opt out of the 48-hour maximum working week limit imposed by the directive.

However, allegations that the opt-out was being ‘abused’ by UK employers have led the European Commission to review the system.

The Commission has now set out four options aimed at helping to resolve the problem:

- A tightening of the conditions under which workers can opt out of the 48-hour limit

- Allowing derogations from the limit on the basis of collective agreements

- Retaining the possibility of an individual opt-out where no collective agreement can be reached

- A gradual removal of the opt out

The CBI supported the proposal to allow UK workers to choose the number of hours they work.

John Cridland, deputy director general of the CBI, said, ‘Business fully accepts its responsibility to do all possible to ensure people are genuinely choosing to work long hours and that any abuses are stamped out’.

He added, ‘But we will fight tooth and nail against the proposal to gradually remove the opt out. We will also be telling the Commission that collective agreements are not widespread in the UK so making the opt out subject to them is a non-starter’.

PLEASE CONTACT US ABOUT OTHER NEWS ITEMS FROM WA1 to WA84

Walderslade Accounting have invested in a monthly subscription service provided by leading accounting industry experts. We are licensed to pass this benefit onto our existing clients to keep them right up-to-date with emerging tax rules and potential benefits to businesses.

If you are not an existing client: If you are not an existing client of Walderslade Accounting Services, you too can benefit from these Monthly News Memoranda's, simply click here to contact us for further information.