Press conference on 6 November 2008 at 10.30 am

On 5 November 2008, the European Parliament (EP) Employment and Social Affairs Committee will vote on the report by Alejandro Cercas on the Working Time Directive. The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) hopes that the EP committee will confirm the position taken by the Parliament in its first reading, in contrast with the regrettable agreement brokered at the Employment and Social Affairs Council on 9 June.

The Working Time Directive represents high stakes for European citizens. The Cercas report and the European trade unions want to keep this directive from paving the way to excessively long working hours.

ETUC will announce on this occasion the holding of a Euro-demonstration in Strasbourg on 16 December 2008, on the eve of the vote in the EP plenary session.

The following will take part in the press conference:

 John Monks, ETUC General Secretary
 Alejandro Cercas, Member of the European Parliament (Party of European Socialists)
 Pepe Galvez, Secretary for trade union action (European Federation of Public Service Unions, EPSU)

Working languages: English/ French
Date: 6 November 2008
Time: 10.30 am
Address: Résidence Palace – Maelbeek Room, International Press Center, Rue de la Loi, 155, 1040 Brussels

For more information, please contact:

 Yolanda Torres, Office of Alejandro Cercas: + 32 (2) 284 54 55
 Brian Synnott, EPSU: + 32 (0) 2 250 10 89
 Patricia Grillo, CES : + 32 (0) 2 224 04 30