Governance of EU Labour Law: EU’s Working time directive and its implementation in the Netherlands

In the European discussion on working time and working time arrangements the Netherlands stands out as a special case of part-time work. Part-time work can be seen as an individualized solution to smoothen the trade-off between work and family life. It is this solution of part-time work that has been chosen in the Netherlands. Since decades Dutch national statutory initiatives and CLA arrangements have created protective measures for both full-time and part-time workers, including working time. Therefore the implementation of the Working Time Directive (WTD) only led to minor adjustments in the Netherlands and there were no major discussions over challenges. However due to the ‘solution’ of part-time work the Netherlands lacks institutional arrangements effective in helping to reconcile dual roles of work and life in a sex neutral way. Against the background of the augmentation of time pressures, due to internationalization of markets and ICT, and foreseen shortages in the labour market in the near future this is regarded as a pressing policy problem. Possibly proposals by the European Commission for revising the WTD, such as the reference to the compatibility of work and family life, might be a step in the right direction, considering that a limit on working time is vital to enable working parents (read women ánd men) to combine jobs and family life.