Employment relations minister Gerry Sutcliffe

Workers previously excluded from the European Working Time directive will be included in the regulations from this year.

The government announced on Friday that doctors in training, offshore gas and oil workers and certain workers in the transport sector will be entitled to an average 48-hour working week, rest breaks, four weeks' paid annual holiday, an eight-hour limit on night working and health assessments for night staff.

The sectors were given extra time to review their working practices, after the directive was implemented in 1998 as part of the social chapter.

Employment relations minister Gerry Sutcliffe said that the announcement was good news for workers.

"These minimum standards will protect workers from excessive hours and unreasonable working patterns," he said.

"They will be good for productivity and encourage better work-life balance.

"Other industries have coped well with the Working Time regulations and we are confident they can be implemented in these sectors without affecting employment prospects."