EU directive on workers’ on-call duty impossible to operate, says IBEC

THE European Parliament vote to count inactive on-call duty as working time was described as impossible to operate by employers organisation, IBEC.

The revised Working Time Directive, which had its first reading in the Parliament yesterday, sets the maximum working week at 48 hours and lays down stringent conditions under which individuals may agree to longer hours.

The result is to end the opt-out negotiated by Britain some years ago that has led to complaints of workers being coerced into the longer hours by employers.