The European Commission is examining the possibility of introducing greater flexibility to the working time of bus and coach drivers. In this context, it organised a meeting with workers from the sector on Wednesday 22 February.
According to the information we have received, a reflection is currently being undertaken at Directorate General Mobility and Transport to get the number of days worked consecutively on the territory of a member state increased from six to eight or even 12 days. The objective would be to align national working conditions in passenger transport on international transport levels where drivers can work 12 consecutive days (working a 9 or 10 hour day).
Three measures. The Commission is effectively focusing on three different measures. The first will seek to extend “the 12 day derogation rule” which is still called the “12 day rule” for coach drivers working on trips made for tourism at a national level.
It should be pointed out that the 12 day derogation was originally requested by the International Road Transport Workers Union (IRU) eight years ago, in an effort to introduce greater flexibility in the hours worked by bus drivers on international lives. It sought to extend the weekly break planned for the sixth day worked, to the twelfth day worked consecutively.
The second measure envisaged sought to increase the number of hours worked from six to eight hours a day for domestic occasional transport of passengers by coach, which includes occasional trips such as school trips and trips for care homes, etc. These derogations would be possible as long as the weekly break in a minimum 45-hour week is respected.
Finally, the third and final option would include the scrapping of 21 hour compensation following 12 days of work. In other words, it would no longer be possible for bus drivers to claim back the weekly time of the breaks lost.
Drivers’ point of view. The meeting with the Commission had been requested by the European Transport Workers Federation (ETF). During the meeting, the drivers contested the different Commission options. They insisted that the review of the regulation on the harmonisation of certain provisions for social legislation in the road transport sector (regulation 561/2006) is not done for purely commercial reasons. They highlighted the fatigue caused by such a pace at work and that exhaustion could have an effect on passenger safety.
According to one source present at the meeting, the Commission indicated at the end of the discussions that it wanted to listen to all the different parties involved, objectively, in an effort to find the best compromise.
The drivers were disappointed by this response and the ETF intends to launch a campaign to raise awareness about this subject. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)