BBC News:EU employment ministers are meeting on Tuesday for talks on an EU working hours law, that may weaken a UK opt-out from the 48-hour maximum working week.
Amendments tabled by the Finnish government would cut the absolute maximum working week - for people using the opt-out - from 78 hours to 60.
The European working time directive guarantees workers at least four weeks' paid annual leave, a minimum period of 11 hours' rest every 24 hours, at least one day's rest per week, and a rest break if the working day is longer than six hours.
It also says night workers should work a maximum of eight hours, on average, in every 24, and entitles them to health assessments.
The UK has fought moves to end the opt-out, on the grounds that labour market flexibility promotes economic growth and lowers unemployment.
Of course the UK opposes it. They would have everybody working 24/7 if they thought they could get away with it. Actually I don't see how it lowers unemployment - if they have one person working 80 hours a week then surely that means one person is unemployed because 1 person is doing the job of 2 persons each working a 40 hour week?
