GRTU has written to Hon Chris Said as the Ministry responsible for Working Time and the Hon Austin Gatt as the Ministry Responsible for Transport to support the self employed and enterprise in view of the unfortunate vote taken by MEP's earlier this month, rejecting the European Commission's proposal for a revised Directive on transport working time.

MEPs rejected a reasonable proposal and went ahead with a stubborn, short-sighted attempt to apply one-size-fits-all rules to a very diverse set of drivers. This is disproportionate and counterproductive. Unless we make some kind of objection, self-employed drivers will be subject to the same rules on working time as those applied to staff drivers.

Self-employed workers and their partners will enjoy better social protection - including the right to maternity leave for the first time - under new legislation endorsed by EU governments today. The Directive on self-employed workers and assisting spouses repeals and replaces an earlier law and improves the social protection rights of millions of women in the labour market, boosting female entrepreneurship. At present, women represent only one in three entrepreneurs.