LABOUR mocked the British Prime Minister, Mr John Major, last night as he launched a fresh European war - detecting electoral ploys and escape routes in the making.
Mr Major delivered an emphatic "no" to the European Court ruling directing Britain 19 comply with the 48-hour maximum working week. And he again threatened to block EU business if the decision was not reversed, and Britain's "opt out" from the Social Chapter not protected.
Mr Major told a rowdy House of Commons: "The position is unacceptable. We cannot agree that our competitiveness should be undermined in this way. Were we to do so, that would clearly be the thin end of the wedge, from what the European Commissioner [Mr Flynn] has said."
He continued: "I have made clear to the President of the Commission that I will be insisting on changes at the Intergovernmental Conference...to ensure that the social protocol should never again be undermined by presenting social measures under the guise of health and safety." And he vowed: "We are going to seek Treaty changes, and without Treaty changes there will be no end to the IGC."
Mr Tony Blair pressed Mr Major to explain the precise terms of his threat: "Will you confirm that your position is this: that all member states must agree at the outset of this conference that there will be no progress made on any change raised by any country in respect of any issue until this directive is reversed?"
Mr Major replied his position would be the same as on the issue of the Social Chapter at Maastricht: "I will not accept what has been determined by the court. When we reach the end of the Intergovernmental Conference, I shall demand that change or there will be no end of the IGC."
Mr Blair retorted the IGC was scheduled to end next June, "conveniently" after the British general election. "I think we can hear the escape routes being planned already," he declared. "Isn't this just back to beef. Five months on they haven't even got the gelatin ban lifted. This always happens. They seize on an issue, they talk tough, they alienate everybody and then they cave in." And Mr Blair warned Mr Major: "The law which gives the right to people for a minimum holiday is not the issue on which to launch Beef War Mark Two."
In a subsequent statement to the Commons, the President of the Board of Trade, Mr Ian Lang, said Britain had "no option but to obey the law until we secure the necessary Treaty changes". However, his assertion that they would only legislate "after carrying out proper and necessary public consultation" was being regarded at Westminster as an indication that legislation was unlikely this side of the general election.
Padraig Yeates reports:
Irish business organisations and the opposition parties in the Dail have reacted negatively to the court decision. However, the Minister for Labour Affairs, Ms Eithne Fitzgerald, welcomed the outcome.
She is to publish the Irish legislation on working time tomorrow and it is understood that no amendments will be introduced as a result of the court ruling. The text of the Bill was approved by the Cabinet yesterday.
Ms Fitzgerald said she believed a lot of employers will realise that there is no need for Ireland to avail of the "opt-out clause when they sit down to read the terms of the Bill. Only 6 per cent of the Irish labour force work more than 48 hours a week and some of these are already in excluded categories".
The Irish Bill will operate a "net" 48-hour ceiling. In other words, lunch breaks and other time off during a shift will not be included in calculating working hours.