Bread 'To Rise' As Jobs Hit, Says Dodds

A European Union directive on driving hours will drive bread prices up.

DUP MEP Diane Dodds has warned of the potential detrimental impact of an EU 'Directive on Driver's Hours', particularly for jobs in Northern Ireland's food industry.

She said that Brussels is imposing a minimum rest time of 45 hours per week for lorry drivers, a move which will particularly affect sales drivers such as those in the bakery and milk industry.

Mrs Dodds was speaking after she met with representatives of the Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association (NIFDA) to discuss the industry's concerns.

Speaking from Brussels, Diane Dodds said: "While there are valid road safety reasons why drivers should be forced to take a sufficient period of rest, to enforce a 45 hour period per week is quite simply too excessive.

"Our bakery industry in Northern Ireland relies heavily on sales vans, whose daily routine often involves more time being spent with customer interaction than on actual driving.

"Yet under this EU Directive, there is no distinction between hours of work and actual hours spent behind the wheel.

"Therefore, because of the enforced 45 hour rest, more drivers will be required and those currently employed will most likely see a reduction in pay due to reduced working hours.

"It will also increase overall production cost, a rise that will be passed on to consumers.

"At a time when so many households are under financial pressure, a price rise in basic foods like bread and milk is the last thing needed," she said, noting that other EU countries, such as Germany, are lobbying the Commission to reconsider the time period to a more appropriate 35-39 hours.

"I will be meeting with the Commission to ensure our industry's concerns are heard, and will be pressing the UK Government to ensure they put pressure on Brussels to reconsider this ill-thought out legislation."

(BMcC/KMcA)