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PAGE EUROPEAN REVIEW
THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE Council of Ministers have finally agreed a measure to include road transport in the Working Time Directive. This legislation was first passed in 1993 but excluded certain sectors of 'mobile workers'. Gradually (as reported in various past issues of European Review) the EU or the 'social partners' (unions and employers) have initiated new laws to include the categories originally left out. Now the last major exception, involving about 6.5 million workers, has been removed.
Under the conciliation process, which takes place when the parliament and the Member States' representatives can't agree, the main stumbling block was got over by giving them another four years to implement the directive with regard to self-employed drivers on top of the normal three. Even then they might not be included if an EU study to be held two years before the deadline concludes that this is unnecessary. To make sure that employers do not create falsely 'self-employed' drivers to get around the law the definition has been tightened up.
The 'Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the organisation of the working time of persons performing mobile road-transport activities', as well as the average 48 hour working week, will stipulate breaks and limit night work. Stephen Hughes, the Labour MEP who reported on the agreement said 'Next time you look in your rear view mirror and see it filled with a juggernaut, you can rest easy knowing that the driver is rested and healthy. At the moment, it's not unusual for drivers to work in excess of 80 hours per week. Frankly that's dangerous both for them and the travelling public'. Tiredness among lorry drivers has been the focus for much concern and organisations such as the Loughborough Sleep Research Centre estimate that 10% of all UK road accidents, many work related, are due to driver drowsiness.
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The Loughborough Sleep Research Centre 'Arrive Alive' campaign aims to cut down sleep-related accidents |
The provisions
a maximum working week of 60 hours;
a rest break of 30 minutes after 6 hours work and 45 minutes after 9 hours;
a 10 hour limit on driving at night;
an average maximum working week of 48 hours including overtime averaged over 6 months;
a broad definition of working time which includes loading, unloading and administration;
night workers must not work more than 8 hours in 24 on average.
A RECENT OPINION FROM THE Council of Ministers makes it clear that efforts in the field of education and training must be combined if they are to have maximum effect on the education and training levels of the EU's work force. Initiatives behind recent reports on the future objectives of education and training, life-long learning and e-learning must achieve co-operation. Furthermore, the Opinion stresses, the authorities responsible for them must associate themselves with the European Employment Strategy of employability, entrepreneurship, adaptability and equal opportunities and help to assess the impact that this is making.
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The future of work and education ? |
The definition given of life-long learning is a broad one, not limited to economic outcomes and concerned with formal and informal learning from pre-school to post-retirement. The objectives should include active citizenship, personal fulfilment and social inclusion as well as employment, says the document. However it confirms that the life-long learning programme was set up as part of the European employment strategy and stresses the needs of employers for trained workers.
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The Council of Ministers Opinion is available on the internet at: |
http://europa.eu.int/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexapi!prod! |
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