Members of the European parliament voted yesterday to remove Britain?s opt-out of a European Union directive that restricts working hours to 48 hours a week. The decision was both welcomed by unions while rejected by the British government. Businesses across the EU expressed concern that the decision will negatively impact business, a factor compounded by the timing considering the current global economic environment. Further negotiations will move to the EU council of ministers to resolve the dispute over the directive.
See "MEPs vote to end working hours opt-out", Andrew Taylor and Joshua Chaffin, Financial Times, December 17, 2008