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Equal rights for agency drivers
Page 12
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• A leading driver agency says a new law giving temporary workers the same rights as permanent employees could help ease the recruitment crisis facing road haulage.
Driver Hire Nationwide, which has around 15,000 drivers on its books, says it backs the EU directive on agency workers even though other agencies say it will increase costs to customers.
The Yorkshire-based company claims to be the largest specialist driver agency in the UK. It says shortages are now so acute that one of its franchisees has paid for 50 people to complete the Class II driver training course at a total cost of £35.000. Finance director Chris Holmes says: "We are fully behind any move that will encourage more people to work in the road transport industry."
However, the UK and several other governments want the EU directive watered clown, saying extra rights for temporary workers should only kick in several months after beingtaken on by an agency. The Recruitment and Employment Confederation, which represents temporary
agencies in the UK, warns that the directive will be "hugely damaging" to people trying to find work.
Roger Stanley, managing director of Guildfordbased Agency Drivers (UK)—which has around 5,000 people on its books—agrees. "All it is going to do is make temporary workers less attractive than permanent ones. They will be priced out of the market" But Bob Monks, general secretary of the United Road Transport Union, says the directive is unlikely to have much impact on road transport because temporary drivers are so much in demand.