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		Working Time: Britain's opt-out voted down by Labour MEPs Wednesday, 5th November 2008 Conservative MEP Roger Helmer, is calling on the Labour government to give no ground to the European Parliament's employment committee, which voted this morning to scrap Britain's opt-out from the Working Time Directive. Despite bringing in other Conservative MEPs for the vote, 35 MEPs - led by Labour MEP Stephen Hughes - voted to scrap the opt-out, and 13 voted to retain it. Conservatives will now work to secure enough support for retaining the opt-out, when the Directive comes before the full parliament in December. As the parliament is attempting to overturn the position of national governments, it would need support of over 60 percent of MEPs. Mr Helmer said; “British workers and businesses both want the opt-out to remain, yet Labour MEPs continue to undermine it. The British government must not let workers down at a time when they want to work a few extra hours to make ends meet. “During a recession we should be encouraging hard work, not outlawing it; and enabling personal choice rather than restricting it. “It is imperative we secure a majority in favour of retaining the opt-out when the full parliament votes in December. “It should not be the place of MEPs to tell people how many hours they can work. “This is yet again more evidence that we would be better off out.”