Agency Workers – Possible agreement on way forward for equal treatment
The issue of equal treatment of agency workers has always been a contentious one within both the UK and Europe. The treatment and status of agency workers have been subject to a great deal of case law in the last few years producing some contradictory decisions by the courts.
Now however there seems to be a degree of agreement on the matter of equal treatment of agency workers according to a press release from BERR (The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform) on 20/5/08. The basis of the way forward is to ensure agency workers receive “equal treatment” within 12 weeks of commencing their contract. At the moment it looks as if equal treatment will relate to matters such as pay and holidays but not to things such as occupational sick pay or pension schemes.
However, there is no definitive timescale for the above changes to be implemented as they form part of the wider debate on the EU Agency Workers Directive. The Labour Relations Agency will up-date its web-site once this issue becomes a legally enforceable right.
Links – BBC news item http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7410127.stm
BERR press release http://www.wired-gov.net/wg/wg-news-1.nsf/lfi/161038
