No chance for EU work time deal Tuesday: Diplomats

BRUSSELS, Nov 7: A long-running row among European Union countries over how long workers can spend at their jobs will not be settled today because rival governments remain too far apart, diplomats said on Monday.

Britain, which wants to keep its labour market flexibility, has fought for years to ensure its workers can continue to work longer than the EU's maximum 48-hour week. Britain has the support of some new member states from eastern Europe diplomats said yesterday.

But they face opposition from countries such as France, Italy and Spain, which are demanding a deadline for Britain to sign up to the 48-hour week rule.

''We can't find a way to settle this,'' one envoy said ahead of Tuesday's meeting in Brussels of labour ministers.

Current EU President Finland drew up a compromise plan last month which would allow national governments to decide whether to scrap the opt-outs with the possibility of a review of the situation within two years.

Under a 1993 EU law, citizens may not work more than 48 hours a week. But Britain, Estonia and Malta do not have to comply because of opt-out agreements. Germany, France, Austria and Hungary have opt-outs for their health sectors.

A group of countries led by France, Belgium and Luxembourg want to scrap all exceptions, arguing the maximum 48-hour work week protects employees from exploitation and accidents.

The European Parliament voted in 2005 to end the opt-outs.

But changes to the law need the consent of a majority of EU ministers, allowing Britain and its allies to block the move.

The EU's working time laws need to be changed because 23 of the bloc's 25 countries now are in breach of the regulations as a result of several European Court of Justice rulings on an aspect of the rules dealing with what counts as working time.

REUTERS