The Resident columnist and MEP, Phillip Bushill-Matthews, spoke recently at the annual UK Road Haulage Association spring convention, held at the Hotel Almansor in Carvoeiro. ‘Directives: Red Tape or Green Light?’ was this year’s subject matter.
Bushill-Matthews took the stage to discuss the Working Time Directive and how to go about lobbying MEPs. The Conservative Spokesman for Employment and Social Affairs, he told his audience that, in his opinion, the newly amended working time directive was limiting and called for support, stating “more people need more flexibility – not less”. He added that working hours were a matter for the individual, not the EU Parliament – a point that earned him a round of applause from road hauliers present at the event. Damien Green, Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, was also present to discuss EU directives. The speakers were all happy to answer questions from the many haulage companies who had turned up for the conference and organisers hailed the convention “a complete success”.
