EU RULES ON WORKING TIME AND TEMPORARY AGENCIES SET TO RETURN

5.00.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 9th Jun 2008

Years of wrangling among EU Member States over draft EU rules on Working Time and Temporary Agency Workers could come to an end this evening as Employment Ministers meet in Luxembourg to hammer out an agreement.

Local Euro-MP and LibDem European Employment and Social Affairs spokesperson Liz Lynne has called on the British Government to stand firm on the UK's opt out of the Working Time Directive and warned today that both directives could face a rough ride if an agreement is reached and they return to the European Parliament.

Liz Lynne MEP commented:

"The Government must remember that any agreement ministers sign up to this evening runs the danger of being ripped apart by Socialist MEPs who have for years been waiting for these controversial dossiers to return to the European Parliament.

On the Working Time Directive in particular Liz Lynne commented:

"I welcome attempts to retain the UK's opt out with more stringent conditions on its use, anyone whose work does not have a direct consequence on life and death decisions should have a free choice as to what hours they work, so long as this is truly voluntary.

"But the Government must stand firm and ensure flexibility for the UK's labour force. There is one thing Brown can't rely on, should any deal be reached on working time and it returns to the European Parliament; the support of his own Labour MEPs."

On EU proposals to regulate Temporary Agency Workers Liz said:

"Gordon Brown's u-turn on proposed EU temporary agency rules is a short minded concession to the left wing of his party at a time when his popularity is plummeting.

"One-size-fits-all legislation at a EU level in this area is unnecessary as it fails to recognise the wide range of different practices across the EU, from Greece, which only made temporary worker agencies legal in the past few years, to the UK and Netherlands where it has long been established practice."

ENDS

Notes:

Liz Lynne MEP is the shadow rapporteur for the Liberal and Democrat Group in the European Parliament for both the Working Time Directive and the Temporary Agency Workers Directive.

Both directives on Working Time and Temporary Agency are subject to the co-decision procedure, with the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament having equal power to amend legislation. If an agreement is reached in the Council of Ministers tonight then both directives will return to Parliament for a second reading, where the Parliament has the power to amend any legislative text.