On the 15th May 2017, the President signed the working time Act in inland waterway transport of 7th April 2017. The Act introduces to the Polish legal system the Council Directive 2014/112/EU of 19 December 2014, implementing the European Agreement concerning certain aspects of the organization of working time in inland waterway transport, concluded by the European Barge Union (EBU), the European Skippers Organization (ESO) and the European Transport Workers' Federation (ETF).
The basic working time in inland waterway transport will not be able to exceed 8 hours a day and on average 40 hours in an average 5-day work week in an adopted 12-month billing period. The Act also introduces the rules of extending the working time, the method of determining the maximum working time, the manner of granting rest days, as well as the rules for recording working time in inland waterway transport.
The norms of working time specified in the Act may be exceeded in situations of imminent threat to the security of an inland waterway transport, cargo or person on board, as well as in the case of the need to help other ships or persons in distress.
The law will come into force on 5th June 2017, but the ongoing reference periods will expire over time, as they were adopted.
- Maciej Jaśkiewicz