Local Euro MP Brian Simpson  is celebrating a new deal to give workers more choice if they want to earn extra money through overtime –without putting them or the public at increased risk.

“Workers will have more scope to fit their work around busy periods or, in these difficult times, to increase their hours when they need to,” says Brian Simpson.

European Parliament plans for new laws mean workers who until now had only been allowed to do an average of 48 hours per week over four months will be able to average that over a year, increasing flexibility.  But Brian Simpson warns that the new legislation will be careful to safeguard health and safety in all areas including his own area of expertise which is Transport.

“Not only does regularly working long hours increase your risk of heart disease, diabetes, stress and depression but, depending on your job, it can increase your exposure to dangers in the workplace and affect your concentration. Fatigue will potentially put you, those you work with and even the public at risk of injury or even death.”

Under the new law, following an expected lengthy phase-out period, UK employers will no longer be able to ask employees to sign an ‘opt out’ of the average 48 hours regulations.   

“Over half of people on paid overtime want to cut their hours.  More hours, more of the time is not good for health and it doesn’t even necessarily mean more money. There’s evidence that where working hours have been reduced, pay has actually gone up.  Keeping our long hours culture going doesn’t help in an economic downturn. It just means the low paid remain low paid. A staggering 2.3 million people working long hours in the UK don’t get paid for the overtime they do.  Why not encourage earning more for working less for those with jobs and make room for the unemployed or people who have been made redundant to get back into the labour market.” Concluded Mr Simpson