EU states split on working time

Employment Ministers meeting at the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council, in Brussels on 7 December 2004 failed to agree on a maximum work-time limit. The majority of Member States supported a compromise document which would allow employers to ask employees to work an average week of more than 48 hours. However, the document was opposed by a large enough minority to block it.

Council of the European Union: Press Release: PRES/04/338 http://consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/lsa/82991.pdf

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