The Government has announced that it is to support the ECA and a raft of other industries in their stand to retain the opt-out facility from the European Commission's 48-hour working week.
The ECA survey of members' feelings, issued in Circular six of 2003, attracted responses from 133 members. The overwhelming view of those responding to the questionnaire was that a strict 48-hour week would adversely affect their businesses.

This view was confirmed by the results of another, unconnected, survey of 700 public and private sector employers, carried out by the Employment Lawyers' Association. Its results found that 78% of the respondents supported the retention of the opt-out from the 48-hour week and 71% believed that its removal would adversely affect their competitiveness in the UK.

Following a concerted effort to gain government backing on the issue, and a CBI lobbying document that prominently featured ECA member J Brand in a call to retain the opt-out, the Government is taking a 'firmly supportive view'. This, in turn, is backed by evidence of support for the opt-out from other EU member states.

The next step will be the publication by the European Commission of its proposals on the future of the opt-out. This is expected to be published later this year, at which stage the ECA will update members on how it proposes to respond.

Source

Electrical and Mechanical Contractor