Brussels, 17/09/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 15 September, the EU27 adopted a common position on the very controversial directive on temporary work. The text will be sent to the European Parliament for a second reading. The final version of the directive is expected to be adopted after this second reading with the possibility of other amendments, underlines a Council press release. Belgium, Hungary, Malta and Portugal abstained from voting. The draft directive aims to ensure the protection of temporary workers and improve the quality of temporary work by guaranteeing respect for the principle of equal treatment for temporary workers and recognising interim agencies as employers. It also aims to set up an appropriate framework for using temporary work in an effort to help create jobs by developing more flexible kinds of employment.
The Council also adopted a common position for the adoption of a directive amending the 2003 directive on certain aspects of working time. This directive sets out minimum requirements on organising working time, particularly applicable to daily and weekly rest periods and breaks, the maximum working week, annual holiday and certain aspects of night working, shift work and pace of work. The main amendments included in the new text involve taking into account standby time, work and family life calculations and the “option of non-participation” (the possibility not to apply the maximum working week - 48 hours - if the worker agrees to work longer). In this case, the common position will be adopted in a second reading at the Parliament with the possibility of other amendments, explains the Council. (O.L./transl.rh)