Minister warns over work opt-out

Mr McFadden said it would be wrong to lose the flexibility of the opt out

Ending the opt-out from the European Union's 48-hour limit on the working week would be a "mistake" during an economic downturn, says Pat McFadden.

The business minister said the current opt-out offered "flexibility" which was important for both employers and staff.

But European Trade Union Confederation boss John Monks said it was a health and safety issue.

Gordon Brown wants to keep the opt-out but Labour MEPs may vote against it in the European Parliament on Wednesday.

Currently British companies do not have to abide by European laws limiting the working week to 48 hours, as a result of an opt-out negotiated by the Conservative government in 1993.

'Sticking out'

But the European Parliament is debating Britain's opt-out and on Wednesday, British Labour MEPs may side with trade unions and back an amendment to review the opt-out in five years' time.

Gary Titley, leader of the Labour MEPs' group, said he was concerned that staff were coerced into agreeing to the opt-out as a condition of getting a job.

This isn't about unlimited hours but it is about allowing people to work more than 48 hours a week if they choose to do so Pat McFaddenBusiness minister

And the TUC said UK workers put in the longest hours in Europe, with one in eight regularly doing more than 48 hours a week while 460,000 workers did more than 60 hours a week.

Mr Monks, of the European TUC, said the limit could be varied at busy times like Christmas and harvests.

He told BBC Radio 4's World at One programme: "Gordon Brown wants common action on the recovery plan and I don't think it helps when British exceptionalism is sticking out like a sore thumb on working time."

Conservative and Liberal Democrat MEPs say the opt-out should continue and many businesses say losing it would damage their flexibility.

Mr McFadden said the proposal before MEPs would allow safeguards in the opt-out, such as not asking workers to sign up to it within the first four weeks of the job and an upper limit of 60 hours.

He said it had been part of the UK labour market for years and was used by "a number of member states" as well.

"There's an upper limit - this isn't about unlimited hours but it is about allowing people to work more than 48 hours a week if they choose to do so," he said.

He gave an example of a couple where one had lost their job: "Are we really going to say to the other person we're going to vote against your right to work a bit longer, to earn a bit more, to pay your mortgage and pay your household bills. I think that would be a mistake."