Brussels, 22/05/2000 (Agence Europe) - Following the agreement reached with the European Parliament in Conciliation Committee on 3 April, the Council adopted the directive relating to adjustment of working hours, which amends Directive 93/104/EC in order to include sectors of activities previously excluded. Given that the Parliament has approved the joint draft on 17 May (see EUROPE of 18 May, p.12), the act is thus finalised once and for all.
The modified directive will thus integrate into its scope junior doctors, off-shore workers and rail workers as well as all non-mobile workers of excluded sectors (air, rail, road, maritime, inland navigation, deep sea fishing and coastal fishing, as well as the work of trainee doctors) and will guarantee them the same rights concerning: the minimum daily rest period of 11 consecutive hours; the time of "break" when the working day exceeds six hours; the minimum rest period of one day per week; the maximum working week of 48 hours on average; 4 weeks of paid leave per year; limitation of night work to 8 hours on average every 24 hours. It will also ensure appropriate rest period, annual leave of 4 weeks and a limit to the working week for mobile workers in the air, road and inland navigation sectors. For details, see EUROPE of 5 April, p.12.