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ETF warns over changes to rest time rules for coach drivers

12 February 2008

EU requirements on minimum weekly rest for European coach drivers must be maintained and fully enforced, as laid down by Regulation 561/2006, in force as of 11 April 2007, says the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF).

Amendments to driving and rest time for professional drivers in Europe were introduced last year. At present, Regulation 561/2006 establishes that minimum weekly rest for drivers involved in international coach tours should be taken at the end of six consecutive working days at the latest. This was not the case in the past. Invoking an article of the previous regulation, employers could ask drivers to work for 12 consecutive days before they could break.

Over the last weeks, the International Road Transport Union (IRU), representing the employers in the sector, has been pressing to reinstate the 12-day driving period to the current EU driving and rest time rules, stating that this is “in the interest of a sustainable and prosperous coach industry and European tourism”. “An amendment of this type will be absolutely resisted by transport trade unions”, declared ETF General Secretary Eduardo Chagas.

For the ETF Road transport section, drivers’ weekly rest must be upheld to

improve road safety, affecting both bus drivers and road users
safeguard drivers’ health and safety
ensure drivers’ work-life balance

“The ETF is also demanding a better enforcement of the Regulation. It is unacceptable that member states, after transposing the European legislation into their national laws, decide not to apply certain aspects of these rules”, added ETF Political Secretary for the Road transport section, Beatrice Hertogs.

For more information, please contact:
Beatrice Hertogs
ETF Political Secretary for the Road section
Tel.: 0032/2.285.46.64
E-mail: b.hertogs@etf-europe.org
www.etf-europe.org

ENDS

Related documents:

ETF Press Release on rest time for coach drivers (52kb PDF)

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