1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194 
Countdown to WTD launch
Page 10
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Nith the Working Time Directive coming into force in less than two months, Guy Sheppard and Jennifer Ball report on some increasingly desperate Atempts to clarify the issues surrounding the new law.
A/etre running out of time VITH THE WORKING Time hrective less than two months way from becoming law, concern ; mounting that the final version ron't be released until after the fficial deadline.
As a result, hauliers could be icing a last-minute dash to make le necessary adjustments to shift atterns and delivery schedules. Ruth Pott, head of employment ffairs for the Road Haulage Assoiation, says: "It is going to be npossible to prepare properly ithout rushing it and employers re rushed off their feet as it is."They [the government] have had three years to fiddle around with it and they still haven't produced the final article."
Underparliamentaryprocedures, the regs must be published at least 40 days before implementation.
But Freight Transport Association policy manager Joan Williams. says because the Directive has been dogged by so many delays before, there are doubts that even this deadline will be met. She says the industry is -taking a leap of faith in the government".
Union leaders say numerous pay negotiations have been put on hold, pending publication of the regulations. Tony Trench, Transport & General Workers Union regional industrial organiser in Scotland, says he understands publication will be delayed until the end of February: "Even to have it a month before implementation would be crazy."