People should have right to work longer hours, says CBI

The
Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has criticised a TUC working hours
campaign, claiming that unions plans would deny people the right to choose
their own hours and remove their freedom to work overtime.

The
TUC is to present a dossier to the European Commission today, demanding it
toughens up working time rights.

It
is demanding action on three fronts: a tougher enforcement regime; stopping
employers counting bank holidays as part of minimum holiday rights; and ending
the opt-out that lets employers coerce staff into signing away their rights.

Susan
Anderson, CBI director of human resources policy, said: "The TUC is
painting a distorted picture of UK working hours. It has failed to find
evidence that there is widespread abuse of the opt-out."

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"People
should have the right to say ‘no’ to long hours and the directive rightly gives
them that protection, but they should also have the right to say ‘yes’,"
she said. "Employees do not want the unions or politicians telling them
when they can work or for how long."

By Michael Millar