In our admittedly non-scientific survey, most saw the need for some kind of enforceable limits, with reactions ranging between those who want no restrictions at all, through those who want flexible or targeted restrictions to those in favour of everyone sticking to the 48-hour limit.
 
Tine Berse (30), German, is a press assistant who works 40-45 hours a week: “I don't believe anything over 48 hours is healthy...The law should protect those who don't want to work more, who for example prefer to spend more time with their family. A balance between working and private live is very important.”
 
Ritva Nieminen (63), Finnish, is a retired nurse, who worked on average 37-45 hours. She thinks limits to working time are needed. “Working for example 60 hours a week would be too heavy for anyone” she said.
 
Artis Bandonis (40), Latvian, owns his own hairdressing business and works about 40 hours, which is less than the average in Latvia: “If I'm overworked, I can't do my work creatively...There are also needs of the soul and spirit: it is not possible to fulfil them and develop yourself if you are constantly overtired.”
 
Need to have a living wage
 
Grzegorz Gas (53), Polish, is the publishing director of a motoring magazine and works 40 hours a week: “Working time limitations are good for richer countries where this really protects workers against abuse and accidents. In countries where salaries are lower, people still work more hours to get extra income. That's why working time restrictions should be accompanied with some compensatory measures like raising the minimum wage.”
 
Melita Koletnik Korošec (35), Slovene, has 3 jobs: translator for the Slovene parliament (40 hours/week), university lecturer (about 15 hours) and self employed translator, where the hours vary. In addition, she spends three hours travelling to work. “I don't agree that working hours should be limited...I believe working hours should be agreed between employee and employer. The final decision has to be a consensus,” she says.
 
There has to be flexibility  
 
Peter Russell (52), Scottish, creative director in advertising in Brussels and works 50-70 hours a week: “In principle some form of protection against the exploitation of workers is desirable... (but) I'm inclined to agree with the Council position that there has to be some flexibility to respect the rights of those who want to work longer hours.”
 
Justin Barter (33), British, is a bus driver in his local community who regularly works 39-49 hours a week: “Current European rules for truck and long distance coach drivers are stricter than the ones which govern bus drivers. Personally speaking,  I just want the freedom to work the hours I want, although I understand for some professions there should be restrictions.
 
Carsten Ritter (37), German, is a surgeon working in Manchester 70 hours/week: Limiting working hours is ”a bad solution because extra work is compensated with extra holidays, which you never get...so it's the same work for less money.“
 
”You can't really clock in and out“
 
Ahto Lobjakas (38), Estonian, is a freelance journalist working between 2-12 hours a day: ”Pretty much everyone I know does overtime if needed purely for the pleasure of hanging on to their jobs and this can only get worse. In other words, you can't really clock in and out in my trade.“
 
Where we stand now?
 
MEPs debated the working time rules on Monday. The Employment Committee, which is guiding the legislation through Parliament, wants opt-outs to the 48-hour working rule to end within three years but ministers want to allow the opt-out to remain, allowing the working week to be 60-65 hours. MEPs will vote on the legislation Wednesday.