Reduce working week for a better quality of life

The working week should be reduced to allow for a `better quality of life', a Labour MP has urged.

Hugh Gaffney said the current 48-hour cap on hours, introduced by the European Commission under the working time directive, should be reduced to stop people `working themselves into the ground'.

The Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill MP fears however with Brexit that the country may be on track to go the other way, claiming the Tories `definitely want rid' of the cap.

He said: `I'm here to get more equality for people, to get recognition for the workers.

`The biggest robbers are the ones above, capitalists who are absolutely robbing us.

`They are keeping wages low to keep us down there, while they're making millions of profit.'

He added: `The Tories definitely want rid of it (the directive), we don't, we'll fight tooth and nail to keep it.

`We actually want a reduction in the 48-hour week, we believe people should have better quality of life, not working ourselves into the ground.

`They want workers to go back to the old way, where you're not supposed to live after five years.

`They want to run workers into the ground and that's why the working time directive was important to us, people should be allowed to earn money, but set their own budget.'