European proposals to issue rights for temporary workers have been blocked for several years, amid concerns that the protection would extend to freelancers in the UK who saw it as unnecessary and a possible deterrent for clients using their services.

Now, trade unions have proposed draft motions in which they call on the Government to honour its pledge to introduce legislation to protect temporary workers

Tom Hadley, the REC’s Director of External Relations said: "Temporary workers make a vital contribution to the UK economy and it is essential that they are both protected and well rewarded.

“However, ongoing trade union calls for more regulation in this area, such as the recent draft motions, ignore the fact that there is existing national legislation in place. Instead, what's needed is effective enforcement.

“There is a risk that new legislation could have a negative impact on the viability of temporary work in the UK by making the whole process unduly bureaucratic. This in turn would limit the opportunities that this kind of work provides to millions of workers each year.

“As well as ensuring that current regulation is effectively enforced to protect workers already in employment, it is essential that we also safeguard the opportunities for those currently out of work. Any European directive on agency work must reflect the huge differences that exist in the different labour markets within an enlarged EU.”

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Susie Hughes
The Editor © AgencyEye 2007