EU votes temporary workers equal rights

23 October 2008

A directive giving equal employment rights to temporary staff has been passed by the European Parliament.

Under the Agency Workers Directive, temps will be entitled to the same rights on terms of pay, working hours, maternity leave and annual leave as their permanent colleagues from the first day of their employment.

However, a deal agreed between the government and the unions means that in the UK the entitlements do not start until a temporary worker has been in the same job for 12 weeks.

The UK job market currently has some 1.4 million temporary workers.

Responding to the Directive, Katja Hall, the CBI's director of employment policy, said: "This will not be welcomed by employers, but it is less damaging than previous proposals as key flexibilities that underpin UK competitiveness have been protected.

"More than half of agency assignments last less than 12 weeks and will be unaffected. And while pay is included, occupational benefits that recognise the long-term relationship permanent staff have with an employer, like sick pay and pensions, are rightly excluded."

The CBI argued that, since the Agency Work and Working Time Directives were linked as a package at the European Council meeting in June, it is now vital that the UK's working time opt-out is retained.