Last week, the European parliament voted to abolish the opt-out on the working time directive. Previously, countries like the UK could choose not to implement the diktat from Europe, which stipulates that employees should clock in no more than 48 hours a week. This option has now been removed, though it still has to pass the Council of ministers before ratification. While the bosses were not too impressed by the decision, it represented a victory for labour. The trend had been based on the US model, where 60-hour weeks are quite common. However, this reveals the long hours that people now spend at work.

In fact, though average working time follows the economic cycle, increasing during a boom and decreasing with recession, it is becoming a health and safety issue in the European Union (EU). The end of the national veto means that, within three years, all EU members will have to phase out any culture of long working hours in both public and private sectors. Among these countries, Britain’s workforce traditionally puts in more time at work. According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), nearly 20% of employees work over 50 hours a week while another 10% work between 45 and 49 hours.

<B>Increasing hours for managers</B>

However, average weekly working time has to be placed into perspective. When the entire workforce is considered, it seems that people are working less now compared to 20 years ago. But this is due to a decline in agricultural jobs. Farmers put in more hours a week than office workers. There has also been an increase in part-time jobs, mainly for women. But, since the 90s, more countries are restructuring their labour force towards the US model. More jobs have been created in management and the IT sector has accounted for increased office jobs. In Ireland, where managerial positions account for a quarter of the workforce, only 13% work less than 40 hours a week, while 43% fall into the ‘over- 45 hour bracket, according to a study by the National Quarterly Household Survey in 1999.

In Mauritius, the trend is also towards longer working hours, according to the Continuous Multipurpose Household Survey (CMHS). This is accounted for by an increase in the number of managerial positions and more professionals entering the labour market. If, in 1999, managers, legislators, professionals and technicians formed 14.6% of the total workforce, by December 2004, this same group had increased to 16.2%. Also, in 2004, nearly half of all employees were working more than 41 hours a week, with 18.4% tallying over 50 hours, according to the CMHS. As we move away from a traditional agriculture-based economy to a model closer to Western industrial nations, Mauritians are bound to work longer hours too.

The history of the labour struggle for decent working hours and a more balanced work/leisure lifestyle has taken an ironic twist. The great victory for the International Labour Organisation (ILO), came in 1919 when, after World War One, it was agreed that workers would not be forced to work more than 40 hours a week. Any additional work done after that would be considered paid overtime, at sometimes twice the rate. So, for the labour movement in Europe to declare victory over the working time directive, it clearly shows the increasing powers of bosses in relation to employees. On the other hand, employees are also asking for more hours to increase their salaries. According to the CMHS, among those in Mauritius who worked less than 24 hours a week, 16% said it was because of insufficient work, while, for a further 8%, it was due to the temporary or part-time nature of their jobs.

<B>Longer hours,no overtime pay</B>

While the 40-hour week, and the ‘nine-to-five’ phrase became a metaphor for the boring lifestyle of office work, it seems it was not a bad deal after all. According to the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), the average two-income US family with children works the equivalent of 83 weeks a year, 15 more than they used to in 1969. As real wages fell in the 80s, to keep the income to the same level, people put in more hours. Since then, working time has kept increasing to make Americans the hardest working people on the planet. This puts them ahead of the Japanese, traditionally known for their high work rate.

In America, the privatisation of social services has induced people to work more to pay for their pension, health, education or childcare. This contrasts with the social democratic nature of many countries in Continental Europe, where the number of hours worked are decreasing. But many feel that this only a respite as Europe prepares to catch up with America. Already flexi-time is making people put in more hours than they would have done under normal hours. Even the French, with their 35-hour week, lose out on flexi time. According to a comparative survey by the ONS, nearly 20% of all French workers are doing more than 41 hours a week, while another 38% work between 36 to 40 hours. In a study conducted by the TUC, British workers lost £23 billion in 2004 in unpaid overtime outside contractual hours. In February this year, the union launched its “Work Your Proper Hours Day” campaign to highlight the problem.

Despite, the fact that working hours are falling on average, it remains to be seen if the rest of the world eventually follows the American example. With more managerial positions being created, the bosses demand more from their staff in terms of productivity. But, in return, a lot of this work is done outside contractual hours without the extra incentive of overtime pay. Since Mauritius seems to be embracing the neo-liberal economic policy, the workforce could be in a similar situation sooner rather than later.

<B>Diren valayden</B> <I>Outlook Correspondent in Dublin</I>