Petition · past parliament
Preserve the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) in the United Kingdom
Closed
1,714 signatures
What the petition asks
The EWTD (2003/88/EC) gives EU workers the right to rest breaks and rest of at least 11 hours in any 24 hours; it restricts excessive night work and provides for a right to work no more than 48 hours in one week. David Cameron is dangerously proposing to opt the UK out of the EWTD.
The EWTD serves to protect both the health and safety of workers, but also those who may be cared for, treated by or helped by these workers in numerous sectors including the health, social care, police and fire services. For example in health care there is a wealth of robust evidence demonstrating that fatigued staff make poorer decisions and are far more likely to make errors which may lead to significant patient harm. The move to withdraw from EWTD is both dangerous and regressive.
Timeline
| 14 Oct 2015 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 14 Apr 2016 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
1,714
Status
Closed
Opened
14 Oct 2015
Closed
14 Apr 2016
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.