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A European effort to give agency drivers more rights could result in a loss of jobs, claim drivers' organisations.
Page 45
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The RHA's Ruth Pott says the Agency Worker Directive (AWD), which is due to be implemented in 2011, could have unintended detrimental effects for agency drivers.
The directive, which will entitle drivers to the same pay as permanent workers after 12 weeks in a job, is not really necessary, says Pott.
She argues that as one of the main reasons drivers do agency work is that they are paid a slightly higher hourly rate, putting legislation into effect entitling them to equal pay is "slightly to their detriment'.
Others have warned that the extra red tape involved in implementing the directive could put employers off using agency drivers.
The REC Drivers' Sector Group's Mike McIntyre argues: "The AWD is going to cause immense challenges for driver recruiters.
"It is often impossible to make an exact comparison with a permanent employee, especially in the driving sector, where there are no formalised pay bands. "Where there are no formalised pay bands, there cannot be a basis for establishing equal treatment," he adds.
One possible result is that a haulier that wants to hire a driver for several weeks will change the driver before the 12-week period is ended.
The REC Drivers' Sector Group says that agency drivers are likely to be a key element in helping the UK haulage industry out of the downturn, and that to maintain flexibility, the government should wait until the last possible moment in 2011 before bringing the regulation into effect.