Britains working time opt out clause

[Thermo]

Been listening to this all yesterday, and to cap it all i watched jeremy paxman interview the labour employment minister and the Labour Mep about it. What a farce. The minister said its the government stance that we keep the opt out as its good for the economy. He couldnt explain why the meps had voted to scrap it, apart from the fact they were part of a socialist group in the eu. The MEP said they thought it was a good idea to scrap it and that they were doing it , despite the orders from the government.

What a ****ing farce. No wonder they cant control there own bloody party, when there meps dont do as there told and vote for the socialist good for the rest of europe rather than the country theyre representing.

If its such a good thing then how comes other countrys that have it, also have such high unemployment. Logically thinking if a factory can no longer employ someone over there hours, then surely they must have to employ an extra person to cover those hours. Also surely they must need to employ someone to record and monitor all the hours as well.

Its all a total farce

 

[Damocles]

I heard they had agreed a compromise. That the opt out would continue but anyone who had opted out (for example as a condition of getting a job) would be entitled to opt back in again.

So who is in favour of compulsory overtime?

 

[masona]

If its such a good thing then how comes other countrys that have it, also have such high unemployment. Logically thinking if a factory can no longer employ someone over there hours, then surely they must have to employ an extra person to cover those hours.

That's what I thought but it has an opposite effect. Did you know that the EU bureaucrats of Brussel are now pushing for a 35 hour week which will applied to everyone expect for doctors, cab drivers, fisherman and the self-employed, unfortunately they have no idea of real working life and their new law would reduce profits so much that many companies would go bust and have to fire everyone but many businesses which have survived have had to lay off staff to pay for the 35 hour week. The end result is that the EU hasn't created any new jobs at all and also it's not helping the NHS because nurses and other staff are having to be supplement with expensive agency staff.

Sadly I feel sorry that those who voted Labour because they did not really understand what damaged Blair has done.

 

[david and julie]

If we must be shackled by the EU, they should make everyone (except the self employed) work the same ammount of hours, instead of the current system where one person can do 36 hours and the other 60.

I would suggest a 40 hour duty cycle of 4 days on 4 days off, would be a more sensible approach. I would specifically include all public bodies in this too. The advantages are many, if we used say our local councils as an example. Lets guess at say a thousand staff in a large office building being used for 36 hours a week, why not have an office half the size open everyday, on the above system? smaller offices mean less running costs, would give the public better access to services, would mean half the number of staff per day, either in cars or on public transport. Which would ease both congestion and pollution. Imagine this over all the workforce(where practicable obviously) We could probably scrap most off the road and other transport building plans overnight.

I can imagine some objections to the above, but lets be honest the weekends are now the same as weekdays anyway. Although some people would have to work longer they would at least have 4 consecutive days at a time off, which must be better.

I am all for easier hours but we need to do it in a way which impacts least on our competetiveness in the world. All these directives do is export more jobs east, except the bureaucrats jobs that is, who are featherbedded and live outside the real world.

 

[AdamW]

Did you know that the EU bureaucrats of Brussel are now pushing for a 35 hour week

Already been done. My French colleagues work a 35-hour week, have more holiday, and to top it all, get more money for it.

That last one is due to slightly higher taxes there, but remember that they get a lot MORE for their taxes.

 

[Thermo]

but i still cant get my head around the bloody meps representing us and the government and still doing the opposite to what they are told. total shambles

 

[david and julie]

It is notable that none of the forum europhiles, who have in the past said that our mep's can only do what our Gov wants, have remained quiet on this. Clearly we are now being openly ruled by people other than our elected Gov. Sad day for democracy as we know it, I'm afraid.

 

[petewood]

unfortunately they have no idea of real working life and their new law would reduce profits so much that many companies would go bust and have to fire everyone but many businesses which have survived have had to lay off staff to pay for the 35 hour week..

I think it is largely a case of re-structuring. Where I work no-one works more tha 37 1/2 hours apart from very infrequent overtime. It would be quite possible for everyone to work more hours and probably lose an employee, but it wouldn't be as productive and someone would be out of a job.

 

[Damocles]

Or the office where in theory everyone works 40 hours but everyone does nothing for at least one hour each day. Better all round if everyone just agreed on working 35 and then going home?

Not sure who is moaning about meps not doing what they are told. Told by whom to do what? meps represent their constituents, not the British government. Even if they belong to a particular party, can you really say that most governments actually carry out the wishes of the party they are supposed to elect? This being so, why would an mep respect a government which did not respect his party?

 

[masona]

Power has been gradually transferred to the EU and hardly anyone has noticed it and once power is transferred to Brussels it cannot be renegotiated & cannot be returned to your countries except by leaving the EU.

England has already lost control of its farming, courts, fishing, legislation, citizenship and so on. Those of you who have voted Tony Blair effectively gave him a free hand to sell what is left of English independence. When Prime Ministers attend the EU meetings, nobody know beforehand about what will be discussed and afterwards when the deals have been done, it is impossible to undo them.

I'm not getting my money's worth. Are you? Not unless you are an MEP. If Labour voter's knew about this they would've not won the election because 68% of this country do not want the EU, you see it's more lies again..............

 

[kendor]

nothing new about the opt out clause it's been there from the tory government days.
the 35 hour week is also an old idea since working it has changed several times 38.5hrs, 40hrs.

 

[masona]

nothing new about the opt out clause it's been there from the tory government days.

Yes, I think you're right, was it PM Edward Heath?

 

[kendor]

nothing new about the opt out clause it's been there from the tory government days.

Yes, I think you're right, was it PM Edward Heath?

Not sure to be honest mas, it was a long time ago

 

[Damocles]

You think farm policy would be different without the EU? how, exactly?

'Legislation' is a catch-all, not an example of anything. Everything governments do is 'legislation'.

Yes, we now have citizenship rights to llive and work on most of Europe. A definite plus.

Possibly 68% of the populaton does not care about the EU because frankly it does not make a blind bit of difference to how they live, either good or bad.

 

[big-all]

the trouble is in britain for years the culture has been low wages and the lack off extended family move to get a low paid job.
the lack off respect for employees with shareholders taking preference
thus the only way to make a living is overtime sometimes exccesive in a lot of jobs .
the culture of hire and fire dodging the social obligations like respect your workers .
insted its screw them to the floor and if they dont contort into your imposible requirements because maggie has removed most of there employment rights they are out on there ears without recourse for unfair dissmisal