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Tucked up by VVTD
Page 8
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Win some—lose a lot. That may be how many truck operators will receive the news that this week the Working Time Directive was all nicely tucked up in bed by the various administrators of Europe— by 2005 it should be fully implemented across the EU.
It isn't about good news (to hours at night) or bad news (selfemployed exempt): it's about making it work with the minimum of impact on road transport. And its impact will be enormous.
Should we be rush out to hire (or even become) owner-drivers on the grounds that the self-employed are exempt at least until 2009? Should we create an alternative transport culture where owner-drivers work all the hours that God and the drivers' hours regs gives them? But weren't they doing that already?
Whoa! According to the experts there will be a very strict interpretation of what a self employed owner-driver actually is. Right now it appears to be someone who is free to work for anyone, at anytime, on any day. So long-term contract holders need not apply.
It's all to play for—but the rules won't exempt as many people as was first thought. From 2005 a lot of owner-drivers are going to be in for one hell of a shock, and between now and 2009 someone will have to define exactly what a "self-employed" person is. Something we've all pondered for years. Happy Christmas