Justice for Agency Workers ‘Euro-trashed’ Campaign

Second Reading of Paul Farrelly's Private Members Bill

25 September 2007

As members will be aware, Paul Farrelly’s Private members Bill (PMB) was talked out by the Government on the 2 March 2007 and whilst it is shameful that the Government opposed this Bill there was a sense of a moral landmark victory being staked.

Paul’s Private Members Bill has now being re-scheduled for a second reading on Friday 19 October 2007. All members are asked to write to their MP's reminding them of the need to support this Bill and that the plight of agency workers is the single biggest employment issue in our country today.

Unfortunately Paul Farrelly's PMB is unlikely to be successful for a number of reasons. Firstly, once again it is scheduled to be heard second on Friday 19 October which follows a Bill sponsored by Andrew Dismore on Crown Employment (Nationality) Bill, which is at the report stage. This is likely to be a complicated drawn out debate. Also the House of Commons does not reconvene until the 8 October and it is unclear at this stage whether an understanding can be reached with Andrew Dismore to allow time for Paul Farrelly to get his Bill heard. It is also unclear whether the Government are likely to be in support of Andrew Dismore's Bill, although it is to be expected that the government will still vociferously oppose Paul Farrelly’s Bill.

Even if Paul Farrelly was successful in getting his PMB heard or supported by the Government, there is now little time for remaining stages to be heard during this session, which ends with the Queen's speech in November. The next session of Parliament will allow for another lottery and opportunity for MP's to sponsor a PMB and if a Labour MP is picked out of the top ten in this process it is hoped that we will be able to encourage them to sponsor a Bill for equal treatment for agency workers and utilise the existing words of Paul's PMB.