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Temps' equal rights would be a burden
Page 6
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VPs have voted in favour of a bill proposing equal righs for temps — but some fear it will lead to red tape and job cus. Roanna Avison reports.
THE RIGHTS OF agency drivers and other temporary workers will come under scrutiny as the government promises to review the rules after MPs voted in favour of a bill promoting fair treatment.
The Temporary and Agency Worker Bill, a private members' bill laid by Labour MP Andrew Miller, calls for the same pay and benefits for temporary workers as their permanent counterparts.
MPs voted 147 to 11 in favour of the bill at its second reading last week, but it requires another vote n the House of Commons and ;upport in the House of Lords )efore it becomes law.
Confederation of British :ndustry (CBI) deputy director ;eneral John Cridland says such egislation would make life very iifficult for an agency driver vorking for a different haulier :very day. The CBI believes the ill would add unnecessary red ape and agency drivers would be )etter served by more stringent :nforcement of current rules.
Cridland says that if the bill s successful, it could put jobs .t risk and harm the economy: Temps already have extensive ights covering minimum wage, vorking time, paid holiday and health and safety. Enforcement of those existing rules. rather than the creation of new ones, is the best way to protect them."
The bill, he adds, would put agency jobs at risk because businesses will be deterred from using temporary workers because of the extra administrative burden.
Ruth Pott, director of employment affairs at the Road I laulage Association, also questions who would benefit from the proposals.
"Most agency drivers earn a higher hourly rate than their permanent counterparts and under employment rules they get holiday entitlement, their working hours are protected, they get sick pay [aftersix weeks with one employer] and they are protected by health and safety legislation." She adds that a lot of people choose to be agency workers and for some it can be a way into a permanent role.
"I'm concerned that such a bill would add a real administrative burden to employers," she says. "However, I don't think it is likely to get past the committee stage."
Anne Fairweather, head of public policy at the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, says many agency drivers earn more per hour than their permanent counterparts.
"Agency drivers are paid by the agency," she says. "Under this bill, even in a situation where the agency driver earns more,the agency would still have to fill out the paperwork to compare the rate with that of an employee — and such extra administration is just not needed."
A Driver Hire spokesman says the bill would add complication to the placement of temps and could make it difficult for businesses to take on staff in the flexible way they do at present. He does however add that there should be a clampdown on rogue agencies.
But the United Road Transport Union (URTU) believes the vote is good news. A spokesman says: "Throughout the road haulage and distribution industry, agency workers work alongside full-time employees and it cannot be right that two people with the same skills doing the same work are treated differently.
"URT'U is therefore delighted by the message sent by Labour MPs to their government through their support for Andrew Miller's bill."
Tony Woodley, joint general secretary of Unite, comments: "I would hope that the vote has also quashed the idea of a commission to look into agency working. The evidence for the need of legislation now is overwhelming, and we will not accept the promise of jam tomorrow" www.roadlransoort.comicm