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Working time victory for drivers in Europe
6 March 2009
European transport workers have won a victory on working time for drivers after the European Parliament voted to reject plans for an 84-86 hour working week.
Organised by the ETF, the ITF's European arm, the transport workers – some 500 of them from 10 European countries – took part in a demonstration in Brussels, Belgium, against the proposals on the morning of 2 March. They called on policy-makers to speak out against this further degradation in the trucking industry, which would affect mainly self-employed drivers and infringe on road safety.
On the afternoon of the same day, the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs of the European Parliament voted to reject the 84-86 hour work week.
The ETF has welcomed the vote, considering it to be an important step in what remains a tough battle. It is crediting its success to both its affiliates, who came out in large numbers to protest against the proposed legislation, and to the Members of the European Parliament, who stood up for workers’ rights by voting for better quality jobs in the sector and improved safety on European roads.
It is now calling on Members of the European Parliament to confirm the vote of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs when they meet to decide the fate of the proposal in the upcoming months.
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