Ministers have finally reached agreement in Europe on working time and agency workers.  The agreement on working time will give the UK the right to maintain its 'opt-out' arrangements from the 48-hour working week and also addresses long standing issues of 'on call' time. 

The Department for Business and Regulatory Reform (BERR) describe the agreement on agency workers as giving flexibility that businesses require as well as giving a fair deal to agency workers.  The European agreement follows agreement by the social partners on agency working in the UK.  

Click here for the link to the BERR press release.