The European Parliament Tuesday rejected the proposal of the European Commission to introduce an 86-hour workweek for the self-employed professional drivers. For at least a week a delegation of the European Transport Workers' Federation (ETF) had campaigned in Strasbourg for members of the EP to reject the proposal. For more than 18 months, the ETF and its affiliates have characterized the issue as one of dignity for the drivers' profession.
If the EP had adopted the revised European directive on working time for professional drivers (Directive 2002/15/EC), it would have increased the working time for self-employed drivers from 48 to a maximum of 86 hours per week. "An 86-hour workweek would have been a false gift for self-employed drivers," ETF General Secretary Eduardo Chagas said. "The professional drivers' skills are key to public safety on European roads and it's about time to recognize its value."
