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Public sector union Unison has welcomed the European parliament's decision to scrap the UK's right to opt out of the working time directive.

The directive imposes a statutory 48-hour maximum working week across Europe. The UK opt-out gives staff the choice to work longer.

Unison's Owen Davies said there was evidence that some social care employers gave staff no choice but to sign away their rights, forcing them to work excessive hours.

Workers were left exhausted, affecting the quality of service and deterring some from entering the sector at all, he said.


The local authority Employers' Organisation said the ruling would not have much effect as the opt-out was little used in local government.

But recruitment agency Select Appointments warned that the care industry would suffer if the opt-out was removed as many employees chose to work more than 48 hours.

If ratified by the EU Council of Ministers the opt-out would be phased out over three years.