Resolution on the proposal for a Council directive on the agreement between the Community of European Railways (CER) and the European Transport Workers' Federation (ETF) on certain aspects of the working conditions of mobile workers assigned to interoperable cross-border services

The European Parliament supported the agreement concluded by the social partners on certain aspects of the working conditions of mobile workers assigned to interoperable cross-border services. Parliament felt that it strikes a good balance between the need to improve working conditions and thus protect the health and safety of mobile workers and the need to promote cross-border rail traffic within the EU. It called on the Council to adopt the Commission proposal with a view to implementing the agreement as concluded by the social partners.

The agreement lays down specific provisions for mobile personnel in interoperable cross-border services, e.g. maximum driving times, and establishes the principle of daily and weekly rest periods or working breaks longer than the minimum requirements set out in Directive 2003/88/EC, while providing for greater flexibility than the directive in order to take due account of the constraints of the railways sector.

The resolution underlined the vital role of the social partners in improving health and safety conditions for workers.