EU plans to include drivers
Page 4
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in 48-hour limit by 2003
• by Karen Miles Truck drivers are set to be limited to a strict 48-hour week in three years following a long-awaited decision to include transport workers within existing European rules which curb working hours.
Truck drivers employed by hire-and-reward as well as own-account operators will come under the jurisdic tion of the General Working Time Directive towards the end of 2003, following agreement last week between the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers.
But self-employed drivers will be exempt from the 48-hour limit, sparking fears of a division of costs and flexibility between them and employed drivers.
The general directive is already in force, limiting most of Europe's employed workers to a 48-hour week. The UK government is the onLy one to have taken full advantage of a clause to allow workers to opt-out and work longer. By the time transport workers are absorbed into the general directive, pressure from other European Union countries is expected to lead to the end of the opt-out clause, leaving UK drivers and other employees unable to work longer.
The strict imposition of the 4B-hour limit is likely to worsen driver shortages and to increase drivers' hourly wages, warns the Road Haulage Association.
The deal agreed last week was driven by Europe's social affairs ministers and will mean EU drivers, who can work more than 80 hours a week under existing dri
vers' hours rules, will be limited to a 48hour working week on average, with a 60hour maximum.
The 48 hours will be averaged over four months or, with agreement from drivers, over 26 weeks or even 12 months. Drivers will have to take "adequate rest" and employers will have to provide four weeks' paid annual leave.
Formal ratification from the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament is expected within six weeks and will be followed this summer by fierce attempts by the incoming French presidency of the EU to revive separate, tougher proposals to introduce a specific working time directive for drivers.
Those proposals, if successful, will take precedence over the social affairs amendment.
Commenting on the social affairs decision, Owen Thomas, head of road freight policy at the Freight Transport Association, says: 'This is something the industry will have to start wrestling with. It will provide a safety-net level of cover if the proposed transport directive goes down."
• See Comment, page 6.