Following a meeting in Dublin of the Presidents and General Secretaries of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU), the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC), and the Welsh Trades Union Congress (WTUC), a united call has been made for the critical meeting of the European Union (EU) Social Affairs Ministers on Wednesday (5th December 2007) to break a longstanding deadlock and agree on a new deal for agency workers.
Europe has been discussing a new Directive on Agency Workers for more than five years. But so far it has been unable to agree. A majority of EU member states back proposals to give proper protection and equal treatment for agency workers.
But they have been opposed by a large enough minority of EU members - including both the UK and the Irish governments - who have prevented the adoption of a Directive with teeth.
Yet almost every exposure of exploitation of vulnerable workers in both countries have agency working at their heart. There is a perfectly legitimate role for employment agencies in providing workers with short-term availability to employers with short-term needs. But too many employers use the lack of legal protection for agency workers to get round employment protection for directly employed staff and to undermine the pay and conditions by replacing permanent staff with agency staff.
Trade unions in both Ireland and the UK are calling on ministers from both countries to stop blocking effective protection for agency workers at the EU Social Affairs Council meeting on Wednesday 5 December.
This provides a real ideal opportunity to break the deadlock and agree a Directive that would provide minimum standards of employment protection for agency workers across the European single market.
Balancing the extension of the single market with decent minimum standards has always been an integral part of the European social model. The Agency Workers Directive should be the third pillar of what was meant to be protection for Europe's 'atypical' workers. Effective measures on part-timers and temporary workers are now well established, but agency workers are still waiting.
Ministers from both countries should understand the strength of feeling among unions on this issue. This is a test case for whether governments are prepared to support modest measures that will deliver fairness, or stand to one side.
This unprecedented joint statement is to be communicated urgently to the Prime Minister and the Taoiseach and the First Minister in Scotland and Wales.
Commenting on this initiative STUC General Secretary Grahame Smith said:
‘The Westminster Government must act now to break the EU deadlock and ensure that decent minimum standards are introduced for some of the most vulnerable workers across the UK.
‘Although this is an area of policy reserved to Westminster, we hope that the First Minister too will also make clear his Government’s support for minimum standards of employment protection for Scotland’s agency workers.’
ENDS
For further information contact Dave Moxham 0141 337 8100