Working time opt-out must stay, MEP insists
The right of workers to choose if they want to work more than 48 hours a week must be preserved, MEP Simon Busuttil insisted.
He was addressing a congress organised by the World Organisation for Workers in collaboration with Union Haddiema Maghqudin (UHM) entitled ‘Workers sold out?’.
The Employment Committee of the European Parliament recently voted to rule out the so-called opt-out and limit the weekly working hours to a maximum of 48 hours a week. This put the European Parliament in direct confrontation with the Council of Ministers which favours keeping the opt-out.
Dr Busuttil said that along with the large part of the EPP-ED group in the European Parliament, he favoured the Council position to preserve the opt-out leaving it up to individual workers to decide.
He felt that a measure of flexibility was needed to enable workers to decide if they wanted to work more than 48 hours a week, rather than deciding for them by changing the law.
“Individuals already have the right to work a maximum of 48 hour-week and it is up to them to work longer hours if they choose to do so. We should not decide for them.” he said.
On the other hand, Dr Busuttil acknowledged that the system should not be abused and employers should not be able to force employees to sign off their rights at the point of recruitment by getting them to accept to work endless overtime hours against their will. Under EU law a worker who refuses to work more than 48 hours can do so without suffering any penalties or dismissal.
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Alex Ellul
Nov 17th 2008, 15:53
Dr. Busuttil should be commended: We need more money now than before to balance out the increase in electricity rates and other expenses. Furthermore I believe that nobody can deny us the right to work according to our needs as much as nobody can deny us the right to rest.
Furthermore I would like to comment on a sector of workers, who are 'forced' to work 'overtime' without pay. I am referring to many salaried staff in private enterprises who often have to work themselves to extremes due to their contract saying that overtime is included in their salary. Then their employer just stretches this clause to his own needs making them work long hours including Saturdays. I appeal to Dr. Busuttil to look into this kind of abuse by employers.
Anthony Gatt
Nov 17th 2008, 15:13
@ Those who advocate removal of the opt out:
Do you recognize that the legislation would prevent workers from working any more than an average of 96 minutes overtime a day? Why should we prevent individuals from working more if there is the demand for more work, and if individuals are willing and able to? Some individuals actually enjoy their work and would like to work for longer hours. Others simply need to earn the extra income to meet their financial targets...
With the opt-out workers are NOT in any way obliged to work more. To say that there could be abuse and to propose curbing this abuse by PREVENTING extra work is like suggesting that driving a car should be made illegal on the basis that some people might drive recklessly. How unfair is such a remedy?
Liam Kelly
Nov 17th 2008, 13:18
The opt out does more harm than good since employers use it as a tool to pressure employees into working longer hours.
It happens everywhere but in particular in the hospitality/tourism sector.
David Battistino
Nov 17th 2008, 12:56
@ Raymond Sciberras - Can you please come up with a solution for the workers not to be abused to work more than 48hrs so that they can enjoy their family? Please keep in mind that at the same time, if need be, these workers should have the right to choose to work more, for their family needs as well.
It seems that you agree with Dr Busuttil that ‘the system should not be abused and employers should not be able to force employees to sign off their rights at the point of recruitment by getting them to accept to work endless overtime hours against their will’ due to ‘family values’. I see some conflicting arguments in your contribution by saying that ‘Dr Busuttil is on the side of exploiters’
Joe Cordina
Nov 17th 2008, 12:30
What about policemen? These persons are made to work overtime when needed without any option to refuse. Moreover gazetted officers that is inspectors and above are not only made to work overtime when needed but expected to put in extra hours on a daily basis without being paid! All they get is less than 45 Euros a month irrespective of how many extra hours they work
Raymond Sciberras
Nov 17th 2008, 11:51
Oh how very modern! Workers should have the right to work themselves to death! how very ''family friendly' ... the 'right' to work more than one EXTRA day a week (40 hours + 8 hours) means robbing jobs from other people... If working 8 hours EXTRAS a week is not enough then it means that Malta is a backward third world country with exploited workers and incredibly low wages! Dr Busuttil is on the side of exploiters... so much for 'family values'! what a joke Malta's MEPs are! He should work to increase the standard of living ... he is admitting that workers need to work themselves to exhaustion to make ends meet! what a certificate for our government! All unions in the EU favour capping overtime....I wonder what the maltese unions think!
James Dimech
Nov 17th 2008, 11:34
Well done Dr Busuttil. You have my full support on this. Work more and gain more. I only hope that the government then lets us enjoy what we gained without any excessive burdens.