Justice for Agency Workers ‘Euro-trashed’ Campaign
Private Members Bill
14 December 2006
It was announced on 13 December that Paul Farrelly, MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme, is sponsoring a Private Member's Bill on Agency Workers to stop discrimination against hundreds of thousands of agency workers and is set to test the Government's election commitment to the trade unions.
The CWU met with Paul Farrelly and agreed to work with him and other key unions in assisting the safe passage of the Private Member's Bill to introduce domestic legislation that will give 600,000 UK Agency Workers equal treatment and cease the current exploitation of these workers.
The Temporary and Agency Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Bill is one of 20 introduced to the House of Commons on 13 December 2006 and is scheduled for Second Reading on Friday, 2nd March. Bob Laxton, MP for Derby North and Geraldine Smith, MP for Morecambe & Lunesdale are two of 11 MP's that have agreed to co-sponsor the Private Member's Bill and it is being drafted by barrister Marcus Pilgerstorfer, an expert in employment law, who was involved in the successful Gangmasters (Licensing) Bill, following the Morecambe cockle-picking tragedy.
On hearing the news Sally Bridge, CWU Assistant Secretary said "This is fantastic news, the CWU is absolutely thrilled that Paul is sponsoring a Private Member's Bill on Agency Workers and looks forward to working with him. We must now make 'Justice for Agency Workers' a reality for the many thousands of agency workers we represent"
The CWU has been campaigning hard politically over the last few months, not only taking the campaign to Brussels to meet with the Commission, MEP's and prominent Civil Servants, but has met with MP's in Westminster and SMP's in Scotland where an EDM and Scottish Motion have been put forward on Agency Workers.
The draft bill covers all the points that the CWU has been campaigning on as far as protection for agency workers. It is based on the Fixed Term Working Legislation and from the proposed Temporary Agency Workers Directive. It covers three key areas:
- That an agency worker has the right to be treated no less favourably than a directly employed worker.
- Obligation to treat an agency worker no less favourably than a directly employed worker is on the end user as well as the Employment Agency.
- Equal treatment will apply from day one.
The Bill is also being supported by all the major unions, including Amicus, the TGWU and GMB, as well as smaller unions such as Unity (formerly the Ceramic & Allied Trades Union) and the TUC generally.
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