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20^th February 2004 (Source: MIA )

The members of the National Motorsport Employers Group convened an urgent meeting at the headquarters of the Motorsport Industry Association (MIA) in Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, on Tuesday (February 17, 2004) to discuss a co-ordinated response to possible changes in the European Commission's Working Time Directive (No.93/104). 

At the meeting, all members of the Group (formerly entitled the 'National HR Forum') expressed the view that any change to existing regulations could have a negative impact on all companies operating in the UK motorsport industry, undermining their productivity and future competitiveness.  The Group agreed to step up its lobbying to policymakers in the UK and the European Commission, but also appealed for more individual companies to make their own views heard by forwarding comments to the MIA.

Jane Gilham, HR Manager at gearbox manufacturers Xtrac, commented, "The flexibility conferred by the current Working Time regulations is critical in safeguarding the longevity of the motorsport and high-performance engineering sector and the jobs of over 40,000 individuals.  To lose the opt-out could be seriously damaging for our sector and so it is critical that the industry provides a collective and informed response to Government."

Sue Scarf, HR Director at Prodrive, added, "The UK motorsport sector is unique and has retained its vital competitive advantage largely due to the talent and flexibility of its workforce. 

"By exercising their freedom of choice to opt out from the working time regulations, employees play a pivotal role in helping UK companies win on race day.  Changes to limit working hours would have substantial repercussions for the entire motorsport industry." The UK's Working Time Regulations, introduced in 1998, implement a EuropeanDirective that limits the maximum working hours to 48 hours per week.  The UK Government won an exemption to this maximum where individual employees consent. 

The exemption was limited in time, and the European Commission has now begun a consultation exercise to review whether this opt-out should continue.  The European Parliament has already voted against its continuation, and the House of Lords has set up an urgent committee to review the UK's position.

The deadline for responses to this important process is March 31, 2004.

Companies can find out more by visiting the EC website: http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/consultation_en.html.   The UK Government has requested that the responses of individual companies to the European Commission's consultation process should be channelled through the MIA (tel: , email:

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