EU: the European Parliament’s Employment Commission unravels the compromise laboriously developed by the 27 Social Ministers

MEPs from the European Parliament's Commission on Employment and Social Affairs adopted, today, November 5, the report by Spanish MEP Alejandro Cercas on the draft revision of the working time directive. This report, adopted with 35 votes for, 13 against and 2 abstentions, unravels the compromise reached with much effort by the Twenty-Seven Labor Ministers (see our dispatch No. 080696). MEPs from the commission say that the opt-out must be removed 36 months after the enforcement of the directive and on-call time considered as working time. The plenary assembly of the Parliament still has to confirm this position, radically opposed to the position of the governments, but the chances that this revision will succeed are increasingly small. (Ref. 080858)
Enjoy this article for free while you’re in your trial period
You have access to our content for 1 month.

End of the opt-out. Concerning the opt-out, Alejandro Cercas reminded shortly after the vote that, originally, “this clause was temporary, to help Great Britain adjust to European regulations.” Yet, after several years of blocking, Member States agreed in June to keep giving this derogation to the British in exchange for a step forward regarding temporary work. The joint position (see our dispatch No. 080696) recognized the possibility to derogate from the 48-hour threshold provided for in the

You are reading this article thanks to your trial period.
Explore new horizons by checking out our other verticals:
You are reading this article thanks to your subscription to Mind Retail.
Explore new horizons by checking out our other verticals:
Do you have information to share with us?
What you absolutely must read this week
The essential content of the week selected by the editorial team.
See all
Germany: crisis and transformation wage agreement in the chemical sector
Following a two-day marathon negotiation in Bad Breisig (Western Germany), the social partners of the German chemical and pharmaceutical industries—the IG BCE trade union and the BAVC employers'...
27 March 2026
Malta: a draft amendment to better protect against workplace harassment
The news. On 23 February 2026, the Maltese government introduced a draft amendment to the Employment and Industrial Relations Act, seeking to expand the scope of protection against workplace...
Italy: parental leave extended until the child’s 14th birthday
The 2026 Italian Finance Act has extended optional parental leave, which can now be taken until the child is 14 years old, up from 12 previously. This leave has a maximum duration of 10 or 11...
Germany: launch of the “WE-Fair” alliance for binational training of skilled foreign workers
Germany continues to expand and diversify its initiatives to attract skilled foreign labour from outside the EU. In mid-March 2026, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development...
Most viewed articles of the month on mind HR
What readers clicked on the most last month.
What readers clicked on the most last month.
1
Netherlands: new government seeks to “control” social costs
In his government policy statement to Parliament on 25 February, Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten announced several measures designed to "control" social costs. Notably, he proposed raising the...
2
Spain: a bill to regulate internships
On 3 March, the Council of Ministers approved the bill on the “Status for persons undergoing non-professional practical training in companies”. The text limits the number of interns a company can...
3
EU: co-legislators aim to pivot European Globalisation Adjustment Fund towards restructuring anticipation
On 25 February, the Council of the EU and the Parliament reached an agreement on the Commission’s proposed regulation to expand the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF). Under the...
4
Block to slash workforce by nearly half
The news. In his latest shareholder letter, Jack Dorsey, CEO of payment service provider Block (formerly Square), announced plans to slash the company’s workforce “by nearly half, from...
5
Germany: launch of the “WE-Fair” alliance for binational training of skilled foreign workers
Germany continues to expand and diversify its initiatives to attract skilled foreign labour from outside the EU. In mid-March 2026, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development...