Nautilus International has welcomed the new social partner agreement on working time for inland waterways.

The Union was heavily involved in negotiating the agreement which will lays down important minimum rules for crew members and shipboard personnel working on passenger and cargo transport vessels operating in the inland waterways across Europe.

'This is a great step forward,' said Nautilus International national secretary Nick Bramley, who helped negotiate on behalf of the European Transport Workers' Federation (ETF). In addition to the headline limit on yearly work, the agreement also stipulates that boatmen should work no more than 31 consecutive days. Today, many are obliged to work 60 or even 90 days without a day off, Mr Bramley said.

The new agreement means that the Working Time Directive no longer applies and will provide more flexibility and new rules specifically designed to suit the needs of the sector including:

• total working time may not exceed 48 hours per week - though this may be averaged over up to 12 months
• total night working time may not exceed 42 hours per week
• a right to at least four weeks paid annual leave and to paid annual health checks
• a right to at least 10 hours rest every day (at least six hours must be uninterrupted) and at least 84 hours rest in total every week

Source: Nautilus International