Review article
EUROPEAN WORKING TIME DIRECTIVE: BETWEEN HEALTH PROTECTION AND COMPETITIVE ECONOMY
Biserka Radošević-Vidaček
Adrijana Košćec
Abstract
SUMMARY: European Working Time Directive sets minimal requirements for the organization of working time in order to protect workers’ health and ensure safety from the adverse effects of long working hours, unsuitable breaks, daily and weekly rests and annual leaves, as well as from the adverse effects of night- or shift work. From its first adoption (93/104/EC) the Directive has undergone certain revisions (2000/34/EC and 2003/88/EC) due to the requirements for the improvement in safety and health, on one hand, and enhanced competitiveness of the European economy, on the other. Based on the follow up of the Directive implementation, the European Commission designed a new proposal for the revision (COM/2004/0607). However, there are dissidences between the representatives of European employers and workers, as well as between the European Parliament and some members of the European Council, regarding the provisions which enable individual opt-out from maximum weekly working time, provisions that define on-call work, and provisions that extend the reference periods for calculations of maximum weekly working time from 4 to 12 months. Therefore the decision on the amended Directive proposal (COM/2005/0246) has not yet been reached.
Keywords
weekly working time; rest break; daily rest; weekly rest period; annual leave; shift work; night work; reference periods; on-call work; individual opt-out
Hrčak ID:
11857
URI
Publication date:
1.4.2007.
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