11:00am Tuesday 7th April 2009
By Matthew Taylor
THREATS to the future of South Lakeland's part time firefighters have diminished, according to the region’s Euro MP.
The existence of part time, or ‘retained’, fire fighters relies on Britain’s opt out arrangements of the EU’s Working Time Directive, which caps an individual’s working hours to 48 per week.
Briatian’s opt out allows retained firefighters the flexibility to perform their call out duties as well as working full time for their main employer.
At a recent meeting between MEPs and representatives of EU governments, no agreement to alter that arrangement was reached.
With time running out if changes are to be made, it now seems likely that Britain will keep its out arrangements, said North West euro-MP Chris Davies (lib dem).
“There are enough governments wanting to keep the flexible arrangements to form what is known as a blocking minority. In effect this means no change, and I welcome that.
“I am very strongly in favour of close European partnership in many areas, but circumstances differ and laws about the hours of work should be decided nationally,” he said.
Mr Davies added that the issue was particularly complex because Labour MEPs wanted to scrap the British opt out while their own British government was working to keep it.
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