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Hours drag on...
Page 12
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• Truck drivers could be called to demonstrate again against long working hours. Last week Europe's transport ministers failed to make progress on introducing the 48-hour week for truck drivers. French driving unions have threatened to run a day of action in March, before the next transport ministers' meeting, and to bring in drivers from other EU countries.
Ministers from the 15 EU states could not agree last week in Brussels whether self-employed drivers should be covered by the proposed Working Time Directive for commercial vehicle drivers—despite earlier moves by the majority of transport ministers to agree to their inclusion.
European Commission officials estimate that drivers could wait at least three years before the directive becomes law across Europe. Progress will be further impeded by the EC's axing of the official responsible for the directive. However, EU social affairs ministers are pressing on with plans to introduce a working time "safety net" that could cover own-account drivers with even stricter hours rags.