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European Parliament says no to 86-hour workweek
17 June 2010
On Wednesday 16 June 2010, the European Parliament confirmed in plenary the Employment Committee vote against a European Commission proposal to exclude self-employed drivers from the working time rules. Sensitive to the one year and a half ETF campaign on equal working time for all professional drivers, the European Parliament voted for safer roads, fair competition and better working conditions for drivers.
18 months of campaigning with positive outcome
Since October 2008, when the European Commission proposed to exclude self-employed drivers from the scope of the working time directive for road transport (Directive 2002/15/EC), the ETF and its affiliates started campaigning. After several demonstrations in front of the European institutions, a lorry convoy throughout Europe and numerous national actions organised by the ETF affiliates, the European Parliament finally rejected with a strong majority the Commission proposal.
EP votes in favour of road safety and recognises dignity of drivers’ profession
An adoption of the Commission proposal would have increased the working time for self-employed drivers from 48 to 86 hours per week. It would have been a real incentive for the industry to convert employed drivers into false self-employed, an opportunity for social dumping and a decline of social conditions in the road sector. Moreover, if drivers had been pushed to work for more than 13 hours a day, this would have seriously undermined safety on the European roads and would have had a critical impact on drivers’ health and safety.
Strong cooperation on European level proves its effect
The whole campaign was a real success with the final rejection of the Commission proposal by 383 against 263 votes. “This is a real victory for all professional drivers and for the ETF, to follow so many months of hard work. The trade unions must have a say on the working conditions of professional drivers. The ETF, our affiliates and our drivers brought this message to Brussels. And the European Parliament acknowledged our concerns. Our mutual cooperation showed that we can make a change for the European workers,” Cristina Tilling, the ETF Political Secretary for Road Transport said. Eduardo Chagas, the ETF General Secretary added: “The positive outcome of this campaign shows the importance of fighting together on European level for work quality, health and safety and decent jobs for European workers.”
For more information about this campaign, please visit our campaign website by clicking here.
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