Wednesday, May 11, 2005

Worked to death?

As Labour's election victory enters the history books, the Government's limited ability to govern Britain is once again highlighted by the European Union showing who is really in power. Green, Socialist and Communist MEPs have voted that the UK opt-out on the working time directive should be scrapped on 'health and safety grounds'. Ironically, doctors in the NHS complain that this new restriction could damage their career development, endangering the healthcare available to their patients. Labour opposed scrapping the opt out, supporting freedom of choice (No nanny state here!!) and that the measure could make business less competitive.

If other European nations want to give their workers an additional reason to become unemployed through an uncompetitive business environment, that's up to them. Britain needs to remain competitive. Maybe people should start paying more attention to the European elections than general elections in future.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

The UK Labour parliamentary party opposes scrapping it (aka Tony Bliar), but European loony left Labour supported it in the vote. Labour seem to have stuffed into Europe all the loonies, so they can't do any damage. Ooops...

Snafu said...

Like Neil Kinnock , totally rejected by the UK electorate, sent to Europe and came back as a Lord with an EU pension too!!

Anonymous said...

I've been working for a UK company doing a project for a US customer for the past year or so, and we'd never have been able to complete the project without doing some long hours and the occasional weekend -- we'd have lost the business.

I simply can't imagine anyone paying any attention to this if it comes to pass. My boss is not going to kick me out of the office at 5pm. So presumably this would result in us all sneaking around behind the government's back doing extra work. How useful.