CBI backs Working Time Directive opt-out retention

The BCSA’s campaign to stiffen the government’s resolve to maintain the UK’s opt-out of the Working Time Directive now has the CBI’s full backing.

John Cridland, CBI Deputy Director General, said: “The CBI has been actively calling for the opt-out to remain, both in the media and behind the scenes, in the UK and in Brussels. This is an important issue for business.

“Ending the opt-out would stop people making their own choice about whether they want to work longer hours. At the current time it would be particularly unwise to remove the opt-out.”

Simon Boyd, Contracts Director of steelwork contractor John Reid & Sons, who is spearheading the industry’s campaign, said: “The whole industry was taken by surprise in December; it was believed that a deal had been done with the EU to ensure the permanent retention of this valuable and essential opt-out.”

BCSA’s survey statistics (calculated on 1,036 employees, with 90.347% in support of opt-out retention) was used in a debate at the House of Commons on 10 March by the Shadow Minister for Europe, Mark Francois MP, in a debate in support of retaining the UK’s opt-out of the Directive.