Government's working time directive stance hypocritical: CCI

The Government has been accused of double standards on a working time directive to the private sector and its own actions in the public sector by the Chambers of Commerce of Ireland (CCI).

Citing the issue of junior doctors' working hours CCI President Mark Staunton said that Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's stance was hypocritical.

Staunton said today: "The Taoiseach spoke about this directive as if it was a new one and as if sufficient time had not been allowed for its implementation.

"In fact, this directive came into Irish law in 1997 but a dispensation was granted in respect of a number of categories of state workers including junior doctors.

"What is worse is that when the directive was imposed on small and medium sized enterprises back in 1997, the State dismissed the concerns expressed about the disproportionate burden it would place on small business in terms of liabilities and overheads.

"This is another example of the growing inconsistency between Government signals to the private sector and its own actions in the public sector," Staunton added.

Ahern had indicated last week that it would be almost impossible for the State to comply with the Working Time Directive in respect of junior doctors by the August 2004 deadline.