Brussels, 31/05/2006
At its meeting on 1 June, the European Council for Employment, social policy, health and consumer affairs will try to reach political agreement on the revision of the Working Time Directive (WTD).
According to recent information, the Austrian presidency is leading the Council towards compromises on key points in the Directive which would clearly undermine its role as a minimum safeguard in competition by enterprises within and between Member States on long and irregular working hours, at the expense of the health and safety and social well-being of workers and their families.
The ETUC is urgently calling on all relevant stakeholders and especially the Ministers of Employment and Social Affairs of the Member States not to crumble on this important issue.
The ETUC would welcome a break-through in the deadlock on the WTD, but any revision will have to give modern and sustainable answers to modern problems, and not go back to out-dated solutions. Workers, companies and public services providers in Europe need smart solutions for their needs with regard to flexibility, issuing from good cooperation and consultation between the social partners at all relevant levels, instead of a simplistic and unilateral recourse to long, irregular and often very unproductive hours.
These solutions must be in line with the European Treaties and respect fundamental rights.
Earlier this week, the Competitiveness Council showed that it can listen to clear messages from the European Parliament. The political agreement on the Services Directive was welcomed by the president of the Council, Minister Bartenstein, as a victory for democratic Europe.
Let the Employment Council, under the leadership of the same President, be consistent and respect also on the Revision of the Working Time Directive the clear position of the European Parliament as the democratic voice of citizens and workers in Europe.
- Letter to Bartenstein
