Gordon Brown has vowed to join Tony Blair in the fight against a maximum 48-hour limit on the working week.

The Chancellor made the announcement at the Amicus conference in Brighton earlier this week where he vowed to fight European proposals to abolish Britain’s opt-out from the 48-hour limit. 

He warned the public sector it could not expect any extra cash and would have to live with a slower growth. 

“I have to tell you that we will re-sit the opt-out being removed to the 48-hour week,” he said.

Brown’s statement was a blow to trade unions who had hoped he would follow his pledge to be more flexible.

Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union, said: “We do not want a low-pay and long-hours culture. Some of our members are already losing out as inflation rises.”

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