23 January 2009
Westminster Hall Debate
EU rule threatens future of RDS

Members of the European Parliament met on the 17th December to vote on the issue of maintaining the Working Time Opt-out which if removed would limit all workers within the EU to a 48 hour working week.

Naturally the RFU has an interest in this issue, specifically the implications on maintaining the provision of emergency fire and rescue response by RDS. In addition to this concern, there are also implications on maintaining the Flexi-duty system provided by officers.

Prior to the vote on the 17th, the RFU met with the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) on the 10th December to discuss this issue and made representations on behalf of the RDS, we also wrote to every UK MEP and provided a written submission to brief them on the implications should the opt-out be removed.

Members of the TUC in conjunction with the ETUC approve of this position and attended a rally to lobby the EU to vote to remove the opt-out. A point worth noting is that when agreement was reached in June 2008, UK labour MEPs defied the UK government by voting with the EU socialist parties to remove the opt-out which led to the debate on the 17th December. MEPs voted in favour of scrapping the opt-out by 421 votes to 273.

What can I do as a member of the RDS?
The time has come for you to sit and think about how important it is for you to continue as a retained firefighter. If as we hope, you support our campaign, please recognise that you might well receive other information to suggest that all will be well, this would be a serious mistake.

The European elections are taking place in June, this is the best opportunity to lobby your MEP, whose details will be on our website and use the template letter also on the site to write and ask what his/her position is on this issue. The reply you receive will certainly remove any doubt and we advise you to use your vote accordingly.

Download template letter

Find your MEP

House of Commons debate

Westminster debate

LGA Press Release

Open Europe

News articles

Has the RFU any support in this campaign?

The UK government realises the effect that removal of the Opt-Out would have on UK business and importantly its workers. The RFU will continue to lobby BERR and others to maintain this position.

We are also heartened by the support which we have received from a number of UK MEPs who did take the time to respond to register their support;

Syed Kamall Conservative MEP for London – “Conservatives will be calling on Gordon Brown to give no ground and, as a majority of EU member states use the opt-out, we hope the council will block the deal - effectively meaning the opt-out is retained by default. I was interested to hear from you as a retained firefighter, since I received an email from an fbu email address arguing for me to support the removal of the UK opt-out.”

Liberal Democrat Employment Spokesperson in the European Parliament Liz Lynne MEP. said:
"I believe we should maintain the individual opt-out for the sake of European competitiveness, as well as for less well paid workers who rely on the opt-out to make up earnings through overtime.

What needs to be done is to make sure that the opt-out is truly voluntary, and protects the best interests of workers. My amendments would have provided stringent conditions, to make sure workers would not have to opt-out of the directive against their wishes.

We have another chance to keep the opt-out when it is voted on by the whole parliament in May. However, Labour MEPs look likely to vote with their Socialist colleagues again and against the UK Government line in opposing the opt-out. I hope they will now reflect on the damage their position will do to the British economy especially in agriculture, tourism and catering."

Brian Adam MSP Aberdeen North – ”SNP MEPs support the RFU position and voted to retain the opt-out after a compromise proposal was defeated and I agree with the position my European colleagues have taken”

Nick Gibb MP for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton - "I am in full support of your campaign to fight against this ridiculous proposal"

Tom Wise MEP – “Dear Mr Barton, I am wholly behind you in this”

Philip Bushill-Matthews MEP – “The fight goes on”

Traditional Unionist MEP Jim Allister: - "I utterly condemn the decision of the European Parliament today to reject the British opt-out on the Working Time Directive as unwarranted interference in the internal affairs of the UK.

The Council of Ministers had agreed a common position which preserved the UK's right to decide for itself how many hours its workers might work each week. This common position was defeated today in the Parliament, forcing a showdown with the Council. It is imperative that the UK stands its ground.

It is intolerable that by Brussels diktat British workers should be denied the right to work over 48 hours per week. At a stroke this would rob many workers of the right to work overtime and puts sectors such as transport and agriculture in an intolerable position.

I will continue to lobby strongly in support of retention of our opt-out."

Godfrey Bloom UKIP – “You have my complete support and sympathy”.