Agency workers ‘must be protected under employment law’

Posted 24/12/2009

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has called on the government to do more to safeguard the rights of agency workers under employment law.

Brendan Barber, general secretary of the TUC, has raised concerns that the recently drafted Agency Worker Regulations contain too many loopholes to be fully effective in preventing mistreatment.

He suggested that agency staff are particularly in need of protection during the recession, as they are more susceptible than others to being underpaid, denied proper training or short-changed on redundancy payouts.

Mr Barber therefore urged the government to strengthen its employment law proposals in order to provide “real protection” to these workers.

He said: “Any loopholes which would allow unscrupulous employers to avoid the law and to undercut reputable firms must be closed.”

Earlier this month, the TUC published new advice for workers threatened by redundancy and called on affected employees to read up on their legal rights in order to ensure they are not mistreated.