The recruitment industry has backed the UK’s bid to maintain its opt-out from the European Working Time Directive.

Ministers from several countries, including Germany, Poland, Austria, Hungary and Cyprus, supported British Trade and Industry Secretary Alan Johnson’s efforts to delay a decision on upholding a working week of no longer than 48 hours among EU member states.

The issue is unlikely to return this year, especially as the UK takes over the six-month EU presidency in July.

John Petersen, managing director of technical recruiter AndersElite said: “The Working Time Directive would affect us a great deal. Most of our contractors want to work longer than 48 hours a week. I believe people should have the right to work for as long or as short as they please.”

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development has also welcomed the decision. Employee relations adviser Ben Willmott said: “While we don’t discount the problems that long-hours working can create, we believe that removal of the opt-out would have been the wrong way to address the issue.”

However, a leading union reacted angrily to the news. Dave Prentis, general secretary of public-sector union Unison, said: “If other countries can manage without the opt-out, why should British workers be singled out for different treatment?”