Who are WE to interfere with YOUR overtime?

As your representative in the European Parliament, I have been expected to find ways and means to strengthen job opportunities and working conditions through legislation and other initiatives.

It is for this reason that I decided to focus my last intervention of this legislature in the European Parliament on two issues which are related to employment and which I am very passionate about: the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund and the discussion on restricting overtime working hours for employees, which I am totally against.

The European Globalisation Adjustment Fund seeks to provide effective support, including financial aid, to workers who are made redundant. As one of the EPP's negotiators on the Fund, I have stressed the need to assist those workers who have unfortunately lost their jobs, particularly in this period of economic and financial uncertainty. The Fund will further empower us to help workers in this unfortunate situation to reintegrate in the labour market as quickly as possible, and with minimum disruption in their daily lives.

And while on the topic of potential disruptions, I couldn't but criticise the Socialists' stand in favour of restricting overtime working hours for employees. Workers should be allowed to decide for themselves how many overtime hours they would like to work. Politicians should not interfere with this. We should not dictate how individuals choose to live their lives, and our priority should instead be to work harder to provide more opportunities and more places of work.

If you choose continuity, I will carry on my efforts in ensuring the best standards and working conditions for our labour force, which is the foundation of a strong and dynamic Europe.