Locking up employers or employees because of their choice to work more than
a certain number of hours is counterproductive. In the case of truck
drivers - control over the number of hours they work should be a rule
mandated by their employer and guidelines by their insurance company. For
instance, if a driver had an accident while driving into the restricted
overtime zone, the insurance company might have in their policy not to
liable for damages. Or say the company policy was no driving more than say
45 hours - overtime would not be paid to the driver and the driver could be
fired because of the possibility of an accident and violation of policy
(both company's and insurance).
The laws should be written to protect us from others that would do harm not
people from themselves.

Martin

>From: "a_n_o_t_h_e_r_nick" <sheepysleepy@...>
>Reply-To: thomasszaszdiscussion@yahoogroups.com
>To: thomasszaszdiscussion@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: [ThomasSzaszDiscussion] EU limit on the amount of hours you work a
>week
>Date: Thu, 19 May 2005 13:03:45 -0000
>
>It is illegal to work more than 48 hours in Europe at the moment,
>Britain (my home country) has an opt out of this. As the EU is
>reducing the amount of laws that it sets down it feels that it is
>important that the laws it does legislate apply to the whole of
>Europe, hence we are loosing this opt out.
>The arguments are based on health and safety.
>One argument is that people who work more than 48 hours are more
>prone to heart attacks and stress related injuries.
>It seems in line with Szasz's philosophy to say that it is my choice
>whether I expose myself to those risks.
>
>A slightly different argument would be concerning, for example,
>truck drivers. When they work longer hours they become a bigger risk
>to other people on the road, do you think this argument holds water.
>
>Is it there choice to take the risk that they might kill someone and
>be subject to the consequences of the law if they do so kill someone?
>
>Just as we cannot lock up paedophiles longer than their jail
>sentence on the basis that on release they have a higher chance off
>re-offending. Ie just because an action/life style has a chance of
>hurting someone, we cannot do anything until someone is hurt.
>
>
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