Agency workers rights are overdue – it’s time for Labour to deliver

In September 2007 Brendan Barber argued at TUC Congress "Now is the time to think again about employment agencies. It is time for another minimum wage moment - time to stop standing up for the bad agencies who undercut the good and threaten the reputation of all." http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/sep/10/politics.socialexclusion

In May 2008 the TUC agreed a proposed joint statement with the Government and the CBI on agency workers. The joint statement was seen as a breakthrough after six years of deadlock and paves the way for a European Directive to deliver equal treatment rights for agency workers after a 12-week qualifying period. http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-14815-f0.cfm

In May 2008 Pat McFadden MP in a written statement to the Commons gave a commitment to legislate in the ‘next parliamentary session’. http://www.fairtoagencyworkers.org/files/Statement%20by%20Pat%20McFadden%20on%20Joint%20declaration.pdf

However, many business and employer interests opposed the joint statement, for example, Chris Hannant, head of policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, spoke in outright opposition:

"The UK labour market's flexibility has been one of the major reasons the economy has performed strongly and created so many jobs over the last decade. Proposals that undermine the advantages of this flexibility will not only damage employers, but will reduce job opportunities for those people that the proposals seek to protect." http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7401210.stm

The business lobby, Association of Recruitment Consultancies (ARC), continues to campaign against the agreement. http://www.arc-org.net/News/09-06-23/TUC_%E2%80%9CMissing_the_point_over_Agecy_Workers_Directive%E2%80%9D_warns_ARC.aspx

In the face of this opposition the Government has failed to deliver on its commitments and has left itself running out of time.

A consultation period closed at the end of July and the Government must take urgent action to deliver on its past commitments (made repeatedly to the TUC) to introduce protection for agency workers and end widespread exploitation.

Earlier this month at Congress Gordon Brown reiterated that commitment.

‘I believe that the fight for fairness must include agency workers, and so I pledge to you today that when parliament returns our new legislative programme will include equal treatment for agency workers and that in the coming few months the law will be on the statute book.’

http://www.labourmatters.com/the-labour-party/full-text-gordon-brown-tuc-congress-speech/

Now is the time to deliver on it.