Thursday, 18 December 2008
Abusers and Slave Drivers.
The European Union today voted to end the UK's ability to opt out of that part of the Working Times Regulations that prohibited working beyond the 48 hours per week. Brendan Barber of the TUC said it would, "strike a blow against abusers and slave drivers." So who are the abusers and slave drivers who make their workers work such long hours? The gangmasters who exploit migrant workers or the food factories with their appalling working conditions. No we don't need to look so far from home... we have our esteemed public services, the North Wales Police and North East Wales NHS Trust where their employees work long hours often in excess of 60 hours per week. This eminently sensible decision by the European Union should be welcomed and it should send out a strong message to rogue employers that we 'work to live' and not 'live to work'!!
One would have thought that nobody could take issue with the contents of this blog but I was wrong, a local Labour blogger thinks that I'm being elitist by relating my comments to the public services and not acknowledging the working conditions in some of the less ethical factories in the Wrexham area that exploit employees. Did I not mention gangmasters and Food Factories? The point I was making was that public services are not complying with the Working Times Regulations and they employ a large number of people many of whom are on low wages, one would have thought that Labour would support the sentiments expressed but there again those of us who observe their behaviour on the Council can surmise their contribution in a few words, "Whingers and mischief makers" They can't govern so why let anyone else do so!!
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