UK regulations are often tighter and more pointless than anything the EU brings in, our people take them too far. (See also Security at MAN T3)
For example, to help deaf and blind people, trains are meant to have announcements and dynamic signage that assists them, the law rightly says their needs must be taken "into account". So on some local stopping trains, the automated announcements callout 20+ stations on the route, then proceed to the "now approaching station" call only to repeat. Heathrow Connect is the worst offender in London with 30+ PA's between Paddington and Heathrow. I got the BHX-London stopping service once and lost count. This is not an EU regulation as such, it's a narrow UK view on a sensible rule, and I am no fan of the EU tbh. If it was illegal not to do this, then it would happen on the Tube and there would a be a riot (!)
The days when Britannia had a UK handling agent in Servisair and some contingency in manpower are long gone. easyJet and the locos, have been joined by BA in being ruthless in cost cutting in ground handling. There's just no way to make money over the medium term as you have to cut to the bone each year just to get through another season. This is the reason you get the same employees often TUPEd over again and again, as nothing changes, because it can't and people get demoralised.