Agreement promises Fairer Deal for Agency Workers.

Wat Tyler Tue May 20, 2008 at 08:02:57 PM GMT Print-friendly version Facebook

The Government, TUC and the CBI have reached agreement on improving the rights of agency workers.



 

 
Retail union USDAW today welcomed the announcement of an agreement meaning that agency workers will receive the same treatment as their full time colleagues after completing a twelve week trial period.

 

USDAW General Secretary John Hannett said the agreement was ‘an important step forward in achieving equal treatment for agency workers.’

 

The new legislation would, he said, ‘tackle employers who exploit agency workers and undercut existing pay and conditions by paying agency staff less than permanent staff.’

 

USDAW and the trade union movement as a whole have been pressing the government for some time to grant equal rights to agency workers Mr Hannett said today that he was ‘pleased to see the Labour government had listened to and acted on our concerns.’

 

The TUC executive, the government and the CBI have agreed a joint statement that will be subject to agreement by the General Council of the TUC later this week.



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Agreement promises Fairer Deal for Agency Workers. | 11 comments (11 topical)

Fairer Deal for Agency Workers (#1)

by grayee on Tue May 20, 2008 at 08:55:23 PM GMT

Very good news, not brilliant (no parity over pensions and sick pay) however, this should improve the terms and conditions for hundreds of thousands of workers.  It should also encourage permanent contracts for vulnerable workers since it will make increase agency fees.


The TUC and Dave Prentis think it is a move in the right direction.  The CBI have obviously been pushed into the deal calling it the “least worse option” while the Federation of Small businesses call it “Disastrous”.  No surprise there.  I do not see this measure surviving any future Tory government.  “Clear red water”?


Re: Fairer Deal for Agency Workers (#2)

by DavidPrescott on Tue May 20, 2008 at 09:38:37 PM GMT

You've got to love the FSB! They also claimed the minimum wage would be a 'disaster' and wanted SMEs to be exempt from the Social Chapter as they'd spent so much preparing for the Millennium Bug! Well done to USDAW, UNITE, the TUC and the private members bills from Andrew Miller and Paul Farrelly. Finally, a piece of legislation that we can ALL be proud of.


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Re: Fairer Deal for Agency Workers (#3)

by jkitleft on Tue May 20, 2008 at 09:55:45 PM GMT

It's at times like these, that I know why I'll be voting for Labourfor the very first time, when I turn 18, in 2010.


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Fairer Deal for Agency Workers (#4)

by Anonymous X on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:57:44 PM GMT

Good news indeed.


Re: Agreement promises Fairer Deal (#5)

by RedRooster on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:36:23 PM GMT

Fantastic news.  I honestly didn't think we would see progress on this while John Hutton was still in post.  He seemed virulently opposed to any form of this bill going through around conference time.  How the hell did his mind get changed?


Re: Agreement promises Fairer Deal (#6)

by rwendland on Wed May 21, 2008 at 12:19:46 AM GMT

On the radio (and FT) the take was simply the EU was getting hacked off with six years of UK foot-dragging. The original EU draft Directive had a max 6 week limit limit, and if UK didn't get on with cutting a deal the original 6 week limit might have been pushed thru.

Apparently 14 of 20 EU Member States have already introduced temporary agency workers legislation.

Shocking that it was a Labour govt that blocked this for 6 years.


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Re: Agreement promises Fairer Deal (#8)

by rwendland on Wed May 21, 2008 at 05:06:40 PM GMT

... It does rather seem like it was EU pressure, as much as (or more than) trade unions, that was key in this decision: "There has been a major risk of damaging legislation coming from Brussels, and the CBI has judged that the Government's proposals represent the least worst outcome available for British business." Or maybe that is just the CBI spin to its members.


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Re: Agreement (#7)

by NeilF on Wed May 21, 2008 at 11:20:50 AM GMT

Excellent result for trade unionists and a practical demonstration of what Gordon Brown has been able to bring around in the first 12 months of his leadership. We can achieve more together than alone.


Re: Agreement promises Fairer Deal (#9)

by otware on Thu May 22, 2008 at 12:11:12 AM GMT

Wow! This is more like it! After years of inaction finally this sorry excuse for a government actually did something! I'm pleased about this, it gives a small grain of hope for a change in direction.


Re: Agreement promises (#10)

by e10rifles on Thu May 22, 2008 at 10:45:18 AM GMT

It's a stepping stone to a better deal, I hope.

Overdue and a compromise but better than nothing.


Re: Agreement promises (#11)

by sgthowie on Fri May 23, 2008 at 08:56:35 PM GMT

E10rifles is right, it is an achievement.  However, we have to put this in context - it is still less than the proposed EU directive of 6 weeks and the private members bill of equivalent rights after 1 day.


The thing I have been so frustrated about is how New Labour has been to the right of many Centre Right parties in Europe such as Sarkozy's in France who backed the 6 weeks.  We also have the opt out from the Working Time Regs. 

New Labour Ministers have been brought kicking and screaming toward a position that is readily adopted by right wing European governments.  Still, it's better than what we would have got under the tories.  Just don't understand why there is such begrudgery towards expanding workers rights by Labour at times.



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Agreement promises Fairer Deal for Agency Workers. | 11 comments (11 topical)