Government ‘to rush through agency worker protection’
January 20, 2010 | Category: Campaign NewsTHE TUC has welcomed reports that the Government is to rush through tougher protection for temporary and agency workers.
According to The Guardian, business minister Pat McFadden is expected to announce that he will ensure the agency workers legislation is passed before the General Election.
He has held meetings with the CBI and the TUC after years of arguments between employers and unions on whether agency workers should be given the same rights as full timers.
Meanwhile, the Conservatives have warned they will repeal, or amend the agency worker regulations if they win the next election.
McFaddden is also reported to support TUC concerns that the draft regulations passed last year did not go far enough to protect UK temporary workers.
The Guardian say it is now expected that regulations will be tightened to prevent employers avoiding the rules by repeatedly shifting agency workers from one job to another, before the 12 week qualifying period for equal treatment. The TUC had raised fears that unscrupulous agency firms would shift workers between jobs within the same workplace, or rotating agency temps on short-term assignments between different employers.The rights for agency workers only apply to those who stay in the same job for 12 weeks.
The regulations will also broaden the definition of pay so that temporary workers’ bonus pay is protected in the same way as full-time workers’ bonus payments.
North West TUC Regional Secretary Alan Manning said:”We will need to study the detail of what is proposed, but if the reports prove correct, this is a major step forward for fair treatment for agency workers.
“For too long, agency staff have been treated as second class citizens, when many do exactly the same job as permanenent staff. All we are campaigning for is fair treatment for agency workers to avoid them being exploited by unscrupulous employers and so that they can enjoy the same rights as permanent staff. It looks as though the Government has listened and will act within the next few months.”
