Member Article

Agency workers to receive equal treatment

Agency workers will receive the same rights as permanent staff after 12 weeks’ employment, under a new deal struck between the Government and the unions.

The new proposals mean that agency workers who remain with the same company for more than 12 weeks will be entitled to the “basic working and employment conditions that would apply to the workers concerned if they had been recruited directly by that undertaking to occupy the same job.”

John Cridland, Deputy Director-General of CBI which took part in the negotiations, said: “Half of agency assignments will be unaffected as they last less than 12 weeks – protecting businesses’ ability to deal with peaks and troughs in demand and shorter-term staff absences. And while pay is covered, occupational benefits that recognise the long-term relationship permanent staff have with an employer, like sick pay and pensions, are rightly excluded.”

Business Secretary John Hutton described the agreement as the “right deal for Britain.” He said: “Today’s agreement achieves our twin objectives of flexibility for British employers and fairness for workers. It will give people a fair deal at work without putting their jobs at risk or cutting off a valuable route into employment.”

Before the proposals can be made law, the Government must first engage with its European partners to seek agreement on the terms of the Agency Workers Directive.

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This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .