Tony Blair is said to be confident he has enough support from other European countries to save the UK’s opt-out from the EU Working Time Directive.
The opt-out to the directive allows workers to work longer than the maximum 48-hour working week and is due to be debated at a meeting of European employment ministers tomorrow (2 June 2005).
Blair is said to have won support from countries including Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Cyprus and Malta.
The European Parliament has already voted to scrap the opt-out, led by France which already has a 35-hour working week.