TUC argues enforcement of 48-hour working week

The
TUC will use its annual conference in Brighton next month to push for a 48 hour
working week in line with the European Working Time Directive (WTD).

Union
leaders say Britain must abandon a ‘work ’til you drop’ culture and are calling
on the Government to scrap the opt-out from the WTD.

Currently,
employees can choose to work more than 48 hours a week if they opt out of the
directive, and business leaders want this to continue.

CBI
director general Digby Jones told BBC Online: "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 over-zealous interference of the ‘nanny state’.

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“Further
restrictions on working time would be a kick in the teeth for many firms,
particularly smaller ones."

By Michael Millar