Over recent months (LU9711131N [1]), trade unions, employers and the Government have been discussing the working time of bus drivers, following the drivers' claim for a reduction in daily "duty time" (amplitude journalière) from 12 hours to 10. This duty time includes all the periods when drivers are at the employer's disposal: driving; waiting for the next journey to begin; making preparations; or taking rest periods in accordance with national and EU law. A tripartite meeting was held on 11 March 1998 to discuss ways of following up a study conducted in three "typical" enterprises that were judged representative of the sector.[1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/bus-drivers-demonstrate-outside-the-chamber-of-deputies
Negotiations continue over bus drivers' working hours in Luxembourg. The tripartite committee discussing the issue will meet again in June 1998, focusing on a new proposal from the employees' side on averaging hours over a reference period.
Over recent months (LU9711131N), trade unions, employers and the Government have been discussing the working time of bus drivers, following the drivers' claim for a reduction in daily "duty time" (amplitude journalière) from 12 hours to 10. This duty time includes all the periods when drivers are at the employer's disposal: driving; waiting for the next journey to begin; making preparations; or taking rest periods in accordance with national and EU law. A tripartite meeting was held on 11 March 1998 to discuss ways of following up a study conducted in three "typical" enterprises that were judged representative of the sector.
The workforce has proposed to the employers a new method of calculating hours. A 10-hour daily average duty time would be achieved over a 28-day reference period, during which total working hours could not exceed 200 hours. Any extra hours worked over this figure would be compensated with time off in lieu, or else would be eliminated through the recruitment of new staff. The employees' proposals are informed by discussions on working time in sectors excluded from the 1993 working time Directive taking place between the social partners at EU level (EU9804102N).
The Government's response to these proposals is that they could well provide the basis for a solution to the dispute. The employers have asked for further checks to be carried out under the remit of the joint working group which has been set up. These checks must be completed by 24 June 1998, the date fixed for the next tripartite meeting.
Eurofound recommends citing this publication in the following way.
Eurofound (1998), Bus drivers tripartite committee makes progress, article.
