Today, the European parliament in Strasbourg voted to scrap Britain's opt-out of the Working Time Directive negotiated by John Major 12 years ago. The ruling, which was pushed through by an alliance of Socialists and union-allied parties, brings the UK into line with the rest of Europe.

With some specific exclusions, the Working Time Directive will apply to all workers including freelancers, agency workers and trainees.

The regulations do not apply to the following:

• Self-employed.
• Sea transport workers, as covered by the Seafarers' Directive (1999/63/EC).
• Mobile workers in inland waterways and lake transport.
• Workers on board sea going fishing vessels.
• Air transport workers, as covered by the Aviation Directive (2000/79/EC).The Directive affects all mobile workers in commercial air transport (such as flight crew and cabin crew), but not workers employed in General Aviation.

Other workers are only subject to certain provisions of these regulations. These are:

• Mobile workers in road transport, as covered by the Road Transport Directive (2002/15/EC). This Directive affects mobile workers who are participating in road transport activities covered by EU drivers' hours rules. This includes drivers, members of the vehicle crew and any others who form part of the travelling staff. From the 1st August 2003, workers subject to the Road Transport Directive benefit from the entitlement to paid annual leave and the right to health assessments for night workers under the Working Time Regulations.
• The armed forces, the police and emergency services are outside the scope of the regulations in certain circumstances.

The 'Sweatshop' mentality
Despite vehement opposition from Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, including the Institute of Directors and much of British business, who claim a maximum 48-hour working week would undermine productivity and Britain's ability to compete in the world, Rip-Off Britain believes that a maximum 48 hour week would be good for British workers, their families and the country as a whole.

So why does Rip-Off Britain support the 48-hour Working Time Directive?

1. Compared to other European countries, the UK has the highest number of hours worked per week.
2. Despite the fact only 1 in 6 workers are 'contracted' to work over 40 hours a week, the UK average for men in full-time employment is 45.8 hours per week (EU average 41.3) and for women 40.6 hours per week (EU average 39.0).
3. Despite working record hours Britons have one of the lowest levels of productivity in the G8.
4. UK productivity is 35% lower than the USA, and the UK is 16th in the world league of competitiveness.
5. Britain has the highest divorce rate in Europe.
6. Britain has the highest ratio of single parent families (23% compared to European average of 14%)
7. Britain has one of the highest crime rates in Europe.
8. Britain has the highest prison population in Europe.
9. Britain has the highest rate of depression in adult males in Europe.
10. Stress and stress-related illness costs industry and the taxpayer £12 BILLION a year.
11. Around 3 million UK employees (1 in 8 workers) have been bullied at work in the last five years - the worst record in Europe.
12. Britain has the highest rate of heart disease in Europe.
13. Britain has the lowest level of customer service and satisfaction in Europe.
14. Britain has the most congested roads in Europe.
15. Britain has the highest incidence of road rage in Europe.

I could probably list more factors above associated with the effects of working long hours....

Britain's 'sweatshop'
Some 2.7 million UK workers usually work over 48 hours per week with an average of 56 hours. This is about twice the proportion of any other European country. Interestingly, many more workers actually work longer hours with no pay as they take their work home in order to catch up on their mountains of paperwork! The average employee clocks up £5,000 of unpaid labour every year.

The Health of the Nation
Evidence on the effects to health and working long hours that are directly linked to heart disease have been available for over 40 years. One study found that workers on more than 48 hours per week were twice as likely to have heart attacks as similar workers on 40 or less hours per week. A study of young heart patients found that 25 per cent had two jobs and 45 per cent worked more than 60 hours per week. Long hours are also associated with mental health disorders.

Effects on performance and safety
Some of the most rigorous studies of the effect of long hours on performance were carried out during the First World War on munitions workers. At this time munitions workers would regularly work over 60 hours a week. A reduction in hours, to between 50 and 55 per week, resulted in an increase in total output. Output increased even further with the introduction of ten-minute breaks. Since these studies were carried out, the results have been replicated many times in field and laboratory studies throughout the world. A number of studies have shown a link, especially where other stress factors have been present. A correlation has also been found with sleep disorders, substance abuse and relationship problems. Studies have been conducted on fatigue and its effect on both performance and safety. There is definite evidence that productivity declines with increasing working time beyond eight hours per day and that accident rates increase.

Effects on family and social life
Working long hours leads to increased levels of stress, causing irritability, headaches, exhaustion and depression, and deprives parents of vital contact with their children. People who work long hours are less likely to visit, or be visited, by friends. The study also found that parents who work long hours are more likely than other parents to have problems managing their children. They are also less likely to monitor their children’s homework, and the least likely to talk to their children on a daily basis. Women, for example, suffer more ill health effects from working long hours than men do which is no doubt linked to extra domestic responsibilities.

What about my overtime?
Those on £25,000+ a year who live within their means shouldn't require overtime pay! If workers at the lower end of the pay scale had a decent liveable wage in the first place, (and were given a higher 'Personal Tax Allowance'), they probably wouldn't require overtime. It should be up to businesses to adjust and 'share' more of their profits with their employees, as is the practice in much of Europe - instead of lining the pockets of their shareholders. A case in point is the British banking industry that scooped over £11 billion in profit last year!

Perhaps the Government are afraid that a reduced working week would decrease taxation revenue. This would be a very shortsighted view indeed. The Government should realise the long-term benefits of a lower working week to the employee, the employer and to society, thereby reducing NHS and social costs that will in turn enhance social cohesion and family life. If people worked shorter and more sensible hours without unnecessary stress, the cost to our NHS would decrease and productivity would actually increase!

As usual, we're behind in most everything we do. For instance, the 48-hour maximum working week was made law in Canada in 1944!