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date: 2 March 2007

embargo: For immediate release

TUC calls on MPs to back agency workers' bill

The TUC is calling on MPs today (Friday) to support a Private Members' Bill that would give agency workers the right to treated the same as permanent employees.

The Bill - which is being introduced by Paul Farrelly MP - has its crucial Second Reading today in Parliament, and needs the backing of 100 MPs if it is to be able to proceed further.

The Bill would help prevent the employment of agency workers on worse terms and conditions than permanently employed staff and help close the current gaps in the law that leave temps open to exploitation.

Research published by the TUC earlier this week showing the vulnerability of many agency workers found that:

• almost half of agency staff would rather have a permanent job,
• a quarter of agency staff are in assignments of more than a year (and are not just filling a temporary need),
• yet agency staff in post for more than a year do not gain the enhanced employment rights other workers would enjoy after 12 months in a job as they normally do not have the legal rights of an employee,
• agency workers have no security of tenure and can be dismissed at any time,
• agency staff are paid 80p for every pound paid to permanent staff doing a similar level of job according to a TUC analysis of official statistics.

The TUC report 'Agency workers: Counting the cost of flexibility' also suggests that temps are frequently employed on worse terms and conditions than permanent employees doing the same jobs. They are also often excluded from employer-provided pension schemes, sick pay and maternity pay entitlements. This can be despite having worked as a temp for the same organisation for several months or even years in some cases.

Although agency workers do have some very limited rights under the law, the TUC research found that some temps were even being denied these basic legal minimum entitlements. For example, some agency workers are not being paid the minimum wage, others are not being paid for all the hours they work and are being denied the right to take paid holidays.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'Nearly half of all agency temps in the UK say they would prefer to be permanent staff but are temping because this is the only kind of work they can get. There is no doubt that temps need better protection at work. Compared to permanent employees, agency workers have very few rights and this lays them open to exploitation at the hands of unscrupulous employers.

'New laws are needed to stop temps from being unfairly dismissed, being paid less an hour and being denied sick and maternity pay. Paul Farrelly's Private Members' Bill is an important first step and would give agency workers rights to equal treatment on pay, sick pay, holidays and maternity leave. We urge the Government to support the Bill's passage through Parliament."

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- The Temporary and Agency Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Bill is supported by the TUC and its affiliated unions including Amicus, T&G, GMB, Unison, CWU and UCATT. All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

- Register for the TUC's press extranet : a service exclusive to journalists wanting to access pre-embargo releases and reports from the TUC. Visit www.tuc.org.uk/pressextranet

Contacts:

Media enquiries: Tim Lezard T: 020 7467 1248; E: tlezard@tuc.org.uk

Liz Chinchen T: 020 7467 1248; M: 07778 158175; E: media@tuc.org.uk

Press release (600 words) issued 2 Mar 2007