Oireachtas committee considers the EU's Working Time Directive
The Oireachtas Committee on European Affairs met to consider the EU Working Time Directive on Tuesday (20th July 2010), which limits the number of hours an employee can work to 48 a week.
Employers and unions outlined their positions on issues such as minimum-rest periods, opt-out clauses for certain professions, and allowances for workers who are on call.
Brendan McGinty of IBEC said Ireland should adopt a flexible approach to the directive. He said: "Ireland has a history of taking much of the EU directives and applying their terms literally without introducing the flexibilities that other countries have done."
