GOVERNMENT MUST NOW REIGN IN LABOUR MEPs ON WORKING TIME AND TEMPORARY AGENCIES

9.22.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 10th Jun 2008

Years of wrangling among EU Member States over draft EU rules on Working Time and Temporary Agency Workers came to an end early this morning after Employment Ministers met in Luxembourg to hammer out an agreement.

Liberal Democrat European Employment and Social Affairs spokesperson Liz Lynne MEP has welcomed the retention of the UK's opt out of the Working Time Directive, but warned today that both directives could face a rough ride when they return to the European Parliament.

Liz Lynne MEP commented today:

"The Governments hard won deal now 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:

"The retention of the UK's opt out with more stringent conditions on its use is vital, 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 Gordon Brown now faces a huge test of his leadership in securing the support of his own Labour MEPs, who have consistently voted to remove the UK's opt out of the 48 hour week."

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 (UK, ALDE) 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. As the agreement was reached in the Council of Ministers meeting last night, then both directives will now return to Parliament for a second reading, where the Parliament has the power to amend any legislative text.