Commission requests views on
reviewing Working Time Directive
The
European Commission is consulting European social partners about whether action
is needed at EU level on the Working Time Directive (2003/88/EC) and what scope
it should take. This is the first step towards a comprehensive review of the
Directive and comes after previous attempts to amend existing legislation
reached an impasse last year.
The
Commission put forward a proposal to amend Directive 2003/88/EC, principally to
clarify the application to on-call time; to give more flexibility in
calculating weekly working time; and to review the individual opt-out from the
48-hour limit. But last year government representatives and the European Parliament
concluded they could not reach agreement on the proposal. As a result, the Commission is planning a
comprehensive review of the existing working time rules, starting with a
thorough evaluation of the current provisions in their application which will
start with consultation the social partners and an extensive impact assessment.
In the document ‘The
Coalition: our programme for government’, the new Government states: “We will
ensure that there is no further transfer of sovereignty or powers over the
course of the next Parliament. We will examine the balance of the EU’s existing
competences and will, in particular, work to limit the application of the
Working Time Directive in the United
Kingdom.” There could be fun ahead!
This provides summary information and comment on the subject areas covered. Where employment tribunal and appellate court cases are reported, the information does not set out all of the facts, the legal arguments presented and the judgments made in every aspect of the case. Employment law is subject to constant change either by statute or by interpretation by the courts. While every care has been taken in compiling this information, we cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. Specialist legal advice must be taken on any legal issues that may arise before embarking upon any formal course of action.
