Strasbourg, 17/05/2000 (Agence Europe) - The plenary approved the Parliament/Council joint draft directive which extends provisions concerning rest periods, breaks, working hours, paid leave and night work to certain categories of workers who were previously excluded, mainly junior doctors, off-shore workers and seafarers. It adopted, in so doing, the recommendations at second reading by its rapporteur, Belgian Christian Democrat Miet Smet. This is the first major issue in the social field,...