Working time
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rft UK truck drivers work an average of at least 60 hours a week, but the promise of a reduction to 48 through the European Working Time Directive (V(fD) Is still years away.
EU member states are deadlocked about whether to include self-employed drivers, although France promised to make this issue a priority when it assumed the EU presidency in July. Danny Bryan, national road transport secretary for the Transport & General Workers Union, says: "It is with transport ministe and then has to go to the European Commission and then to the European Parliament. On the basis of past experience, the UK government will then have two or three years to introduce local legislation."
However, both the T&G and the United Road Transport Union say the industry needs to begin preparing for it now. Doug Curtis, head of campaigns for URTU, says: "It will be a vast improvement for road safety, but there are other considerations. We have a huge shortage of drivers starting to build up, and when yo introduce the Will it will increase the need for drivers. If industry responds by grabbing people not suitai to drive, you could create a situation where there's a massive reduction in read safety."