A step closer to equality?
The prospect of the UK's 1.3m agency workers having the same pay and conditions as permanent staff has come a step closer with the launch of a Government consultation on the new rights.
The new rights were agreed in May 2008 between the two, they will introduce equal treatment for agency workers on holidays and overtime after 12 weeks in a job.
The Government stepped back from saying when it would implement the legislation, derived for the European Agency workers directive, with unions pushing for adoption early next year while business groups have lobbied for a delay until 2011.
Pat McFadden employment relation minister commented: "These proposals will take us another step forward by boosting the rights of agency workers, while making sure both employers and agency workers have the flexibility they need. In both good times and bad it is vital that we give people a fair deal at work without damaging our flexible labour market and putting jobs at risk."
So is this good or bad news?
The deputy director general of the CBI commented on the example of France when they recently implemented these new European rights. "When changes to agency working were made there, it resulted in the number of agency jobs halving". He then went on to say "Agency work is important for the UK economy and we must not undermine it with clumsy regulation."
You will be pleased to hear that he is not alone in his opinion. The head of the EU and Employment Policy at the institute of Directors Alistair Tebbit commented. "The Government has a responsibility to implement it as lightly as possible to avoid imposing any more unnecessary costs on businesses."
When the new regulations will actually be introduced is still under discussion. Brendan Barber general secretary of the TUC is arguing that it is vital the introduction be treated as a "priority to ensure that vulnerable workers are protected". However the Chief Executive of the Recruitment & Employment Confederation Kevin Green is calling for the implementation to be delayed until October 2011, saying that "The stakes are extremely high for business, the £22bn temp market and for the employment landscape in the UK".
So as good news as this may be for the agency worker it may be an increase in costs that that many businesses just can not afford.