Transport faces 48-hour limit
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• Road transport workers could soon be subject to a maximum working week of 48 hours. The long-awaited European Commission white paper on working hours is clue out within days. It is expected to look at ways of ending road transport's exemption from the European Working Time Directive which includes the 48-hour limit.
The new Labour Government is expected to be more sympathetic to this than its predecessor
A 48-hour limit would have an enormous impact on the road transport industry: the Transport and General Workers says its drivers work an average of 58 to 60 hours a week; the Freight Transport Association estimates that more than 50% of its members could be forced to increase their fleets if the Working Time Directive were to be applied to them.
Drivers and employers will be able to get round the limit if drivers willingly agree to work over it.