New Delhi: It sounds like music to the hapless millions who spend hours commuting to work in India's teeming metros – 'Time taken to travel to work should count as work'


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While we in India can only hope such a law in the country, Europe already appears set to implement the new working rules.


As per a report in The Independent, the European Court of Justice (ECJ), Europe's highest court, has ruled that the time taken to travel to and from work at the beginning and end of each day should count as working time under the law.


The court ruled that workers without a fixed office should be able to charge for the time they travel to work place. The rule will have maximum impact for workers such as electricians, care workers and sales representatives.


As per The Independent, the ruling said: "The fact that the workers begin and finish the journeys at their homes stems directly from the decision of their employer to abolish the regional offices and not from the desire of the workers themselves.


"Requiring them to bear the burden of their employer's choice would be contrary to the objective of protecting the safety and health of workers pursued by the directive, which includes the necessity of guaranteeing workers a minimum rest period."