Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-05-10-Speech-2-043"
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"en.20050510.4.2-043"2
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".
Ladies and gentlemen, political decisions are sometimes the result of compromises that are intended to keep both sides happy. Problems resulting from the fact that anything that benefits employers places employees at a disadvantage, and vice versa, have beset the proposal for a directive concerning certain aspects of the organisation of working time at every turn, and we should not pretend otherwise.
The vote in the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, of which I am a member, has demonstrated that Members of all political persuasions wish to tackle inequalities between employees and employers, and to ensure that there is a gradual move towards equal treatment for men and women on the labour market. The modern humanist approach to employment relations did not come out of the blue, however. It is the culmination of a long struggle for the recognition of human rights, and hence of the right to fair working conditions, which right is enshrined
in the Lisbon Strategy, and emerges quite clearly from the Cercas report. Yet a few legislative loopholes and seemingly innocent compromises could undo centuries of progress. It is an unfortunate fact that altruism by employers towards their employees has not to date been a founding principle of our civilisation.
We adhered to the principle of work-life balance when voting on the proposal in committee, and we would insist that the following proposals are adopted, in order to ensure that this principle becomes more than an empty phrase to salve our conscience. Firstly, the maximum working week should not exceed 48 hours, including overtime. Derogations to this principle may only be decided on by means of collective agreements, which would rule out the use of individual opt-outs. Secondly, on-call time, including what is termed ‘inactive on-call time’, should be regarded as working time. Quite apart from anything else, this principle has been confirmed in rulings by the Court of Justice. Thirdly, the reference period for calculating the average working week should continue to be four months. There is a further priority I should like to highlight, namely that achieving equal opportunities does not only involve creating a level playing field for men and women with regard to wages and access to jobs and education. It also involves granting equal rights to men as far as opportunities to participate fully in family life are concerned."@en1
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