The EU already approved a 48 hour max working week but the UK (along with er, Malta I think) opted out of the restriction so that, if they wanted to, UK employees could work longer hours. Because many employers coerced their employees to work longer than 48 hours the UK is now considering going back to the main 48 hour week restriction, no overtime allowed. Much of the airline industry is exempt from these restrictions anyway, with pilots able to be rostered 55 hours and work 60 hours in a week. However, the new proposals may also say that time spent "on call" is not included in the 48 hours.