Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-06-15-Speech-2-025"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20100615.4.2-025"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, we have been debating the matter of driving time and working hours in road transport for months. I am beginning to wonder what the next argument will be to try to show that everything we have been debating for months is complete nonsense. The latest argument is that we have to change something urgently so that nothing changes. Mrs Bauer, can you not see how absurd this argument has become – how riddled it is with lies and half-truths?
What we are debating here is nothing other than extending the working hours of self-employed workers. However, for more than 150 years, it has been a principle of legislation on working hours that people are protected from working excessively long hours. That applies to the self-employed just as much as to those in employment. It makes no difference whether it is a self-employed worker who is pushing himself too hard or an employer that is pushing an employee driver too hard. It is about protecting people from themselves and from excessively long working hours, as well as in part from employers and others who commission work.
As a second point, on the matter of road safety, it has been asserted here that nothing can be done in this respect. Ladies and gentlemen, we are not amateurs or volunteers! We cannot pass laws on the basis of ‘Let’s see what happens’. Everyone knows that working excessive hours increases the risk of accidents, particularly in road transport, where the consequences are so serious.
My third point is to ask who would police this proposed differentiated regulation on our roads? Our judges already find it difficult to decide whether someone is self-employed or only ostensibly self-employed without long study of the evidence.
Let us abandon this nonsense. This is about fair competition. It is not about setting a precedent this morning for future debate on extending working hours. Do not play games like that with this House!"@en1
|
| lpv:videoURI |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples