Liberal democrat Members of the European Parliament - NewsGovernment must now reign in labour MEPs on working time and temporary agencies
Years of wrangling amoung EU Member States over draft EU rules on Working Time and Temporary Agency Workers came to an end early this morning after Employment Ministers met in Luxembourg to hammer out an agreement. Liberal Democrat European Employment and Social Affairs spokesperson Liz Lynne MEP has welcomed the retention of the UKs opt out of the Working Time Directive, but warned today that both directives could face a rough ride when they return to the European Parliament. ... "The retention of the UK's opt out with more stringent conditions on its use is vital, anyone whose work does not have a direct consequence on life and death decisions should have a free choice as to what hours they work, so long as this is truly voluntary.
Liberal Democrat European Employment and Social Affairs spokesperson Liz Lynne MEP has welcomed the retention of the UKs opt out of the Working Time Directive, but warned today that both directives could face a rough ride when they return to the European Parliament.
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"The retention of the UK's opt out with more stringent conditions on its use is vital, anyone whose work does not have a direct consequence on life and death decisions should have a free choice as to what hours they work, so long as this is truly voluntary.
Oh, and it's rein in, not reign in. When the capital development of a country becomes a by-product of the activities of a casino, the job is likely to be ill-done. — John M. Keynes
Flexible working law could be thrown into disarray if the Working Time Directive goes through the European Council in its current state on Monday, according to an expert. The right to request flexible working could be extended to every employee under a new provision in the EU directive concerning the reconciliation of working family life. Just last month, the UK government extended the right to request to parents of children aged 16 and under, following a review commissioned by the government. But David Yeandle, deputy director of employment research at manufacturers' body the EEF, warned that the EU directive in its current state could supersede this. He told Personnel Today: "There is a new provision coming into the EU Working Time Directive, which was hardly there before, to do with the reconciliation of working family life. Effectively, it could be read as extending the right to request to everybody, and making it more difficult for employers to be able to reject the request purely on the basis of business reasons."
The right to request flexible working could be extended to every employee under a new provision in the EU directive concerning the reconciliation of working family life.
Just last month, the UK government extended the right to request to parents of children aged 16 and under, following a review commissioned by the government.
But David Yeandle, deputy director of employment research at manufacturers' body the EEF, warned that the EU directive in its current state could supersede this.
He told Personnel Today: "There is a new provision coming into the EU Working Time Directive, which was hardly there before, to do with the reconciliation of working family life. Effectively, it could be read as extending the right to request to everybody, and making it more difficult for employers to be able to reject the request purely on the basis of business reasons."
I also do not agree with the UK having the opt out, for reasons you put forward, that so many employees do not realise that they have the right to stick with the limit on the hours they work. Bullying bosses, witholding information are not going to allow employees their rights. The quote above shows how business thinks that business interestes should come above those of the workforce or individuals.
TUC press release
People working over 48 hours a week increases to 3.3 million An extra 180,000 people across the UK are working more than 48 hours a week in 2008, according to a TUC analysis of official statistics released today (Friday 9th June). The analysis, included in the new TUC report - The Return of the Long Hours Culture - has found that the number of people working long hours has increased at a faster rate over the last year than the decline in excessive working between 1998 and 2006. In the first quarter of 2008, the total number of people working long hours increased by 0.5 percentage points (180,000 people) to 3.3 million. The sharpest increases in long hours working occurred in the East of England (up 2.1 percentage points) and London (up 2 percentage points). Between 1998 and 2006, the number of people working more than 48 hours was reduced by 3.7 percentage points (707,000) from 3.8 million to 3.1 million. The TUC report argues that the recent increase in the number of people working long hours is due to the challenging economic climate, which has made employers more reluctant to recruit new staff and instead work existing employees harder. The analysis also finds that 85 per cent of new long hours workers are male. The TUC believes that this trend, in which senior jobs are increasingly reliant on long hours, could hamper efforts to close the pay gap, as women with childcare responsibilities are likely to be excluded from these roles. In order to reverse the growth of long hours working, the TUC is calling for a stronger the Working Time Directive (WTD) to protect employers. Since its implementation in 1998, the WTD has helped to reduce excessive long hours, although the UK's opt-out has meant that this progress, in the TUC's view, has been too slow.
An extra 180,000 people across the UK are working more than 48 hours a week in 2008, according to a TUC analysis of official statistics released today (Friday 9th June).
The analysis, included in the new TUC report - The Return of the Long Hours Culture - has found that the number of people working long hours has increased at a faster rate over the last year than the decline in excessive working between 1998 and 2006.
In the first quarter of 2008, the total number of people working long hours increased by 0.5 percentage points (180,000 people) to 3.3 million. The sharpest increases in long hours working occurred in the East of England (up 2.1 percentage points) and London (up 2 percentage points). Between 1998 and 2006, the number of people working more than 48 hours was reduced by 3.7 percentage points (707,000) from 3.8 million to 3.1 million.
The TUC report argues that the recent increase in the number of people working long hours is due to the challenging economic climate, which has made employers more reluctant to recruit new staff and instead work existing employees harder.
The analysis also finds that 85 per cent of new long hours workers are male. The TUC believes that this trend, in which senior jobs are increasingly reliant on long hours, could hamper efforts to close the pay gap, as women with childcare responsibilities are likely to be excluded from these roles.
In order to reverse the growth of long hours working, the TUC is calling for a stronger the Working Time Directive (WTD) to protect employers. Since its implementation in 1998, the WTD has helped to reduce excessive long hours, although the UK's opt-out has meant that this progress, in the TUC's view, has been too slow.
Yet if everyone had the same level of rights to flexible working and not to work more than 48 hours, then employers would adapt and it would be easier to root out the unscrupulous ones who break the law and cause losses for the law abiding businesses. Ad astra per aspera
Employment and social affairs (News - Headlines)
MEPs call for new voluntary ethos Article - Vocational training - 15-05-2008 - 14:10Berlin, 99-year-old Elli Heinrich voluntarily sorts books at an Oxfam shopMore than 100 million Europeans are currently engaged in voluntary activities. Even if volunteering is done for free, it is a surprisingly significant economic factor in our society - the voluntary sector accounts for between 3-5% of GDP. MEPs want the EU to benefit more from this sector and boost its potential. On 22 April parliament approved a report designed to recognise and support volunteers in all relevant EU programmes and polices. Read more...As Europe ages - how can we tackle its demographic decline?Focus - Social policy - 06-02-2008 - 12:09
Volunteering may be a great way of keeping active and supporting the county's GDP but it won't do anything for an individual's struggle to stay out of poverty.
But that is an aside really - the TUC has long been calling for a Community Day bank holiday to encourage people to become volunteers and to recognise and celebrate the contribution of those who already volunteer. Since the trade union sector arguably comprises the largest proportion of all volunteers in the UK (in the way of workplace reps etc), it would be great to have better recognition of the importance of volunteering. Ad astra per aspera
MEPs call for new voluntary ethos
The report, prepared by Irish Liberal Marian Harkin, is called "The role of volunteering in contributing to economic and social cohesion" and suggests the following: EU members, regional and local authorities and voluntary organisations should be encouraged to develop plans to recognise, value, support, facilitate and encourage volunteering, and to work in partnership to do so. It also urges help to voluntary bodies to access sufficient and sustainable funding, without excessive red tape or bureaucracy, while maintaining controls on public expenditure. Private sector can play a role The report seeks to encourage companies and other private-sector operators, as part of their corporate social responsibility strategy, to financially support initiatives promoting and enhancing volunteering. Finally it recommends that 2011 be declared the European Year of Volunteering. Speaking about her report, Marian Harkin said that "we need to ensure European policies recognise and support volunteers in their valuable work. Furthermore for every €1 organisations spent on supporting volunteers they received an average return worth between €3 and €8". Stressing the wider benefits she said that "there is a strong link between volunteering and active citizenship...involvement in voluntary activities is a tangible expression of participatory democracy".
involvement in voluntary activities is a tangible expression of participatory democracy".
If you count pointing out the spots where the state has failed to do its job properly, then sure.
- Jake Ceterum censeo Chicago esse delendam
