Britain keeps Working Time opt out

Britain has retained its opt-out from the European Working Time Directive.MEPs voted in December to end the opt-out from the maximum 48-hour working week but a conciliation meeting in Brussels between the Member States, European Parliament and the European Commission was unable to resolve the long-standing differences between the European Parliament and member states over whether to retain the opt-out or not.

The government welcomed the news, following the breakdown of negotiations after more than five years. It has defended the opt-out first agreed by John Major's Conservative Government in 1993.

Employment Relations Minister Pat McFadden said:"We refused to be pushed into a bad deal for Britain. We have said consistently that we will not give up the opt-out and we have delivered on that pledge...Everyone has the right to basic protections surrounding the hours that they work, but it is also important that they have the right to choose those hours...In the UK and many other Member States, choice over working hours has operated successfully for many years. The current economic climate makes it more important than ever that people continue to have the right to put more money in their pockets by working longer hours if they choose to do so."