The plight of temporary workers

[cockneyrebel]

Thought people might be interested in this article given the amount of discussion on here about temporary workers and immigration:

In February, Labour MPs voted overwhelmingly to give a second reading to a bill which would grant temporary agency workers the same rights as permanent employees. This was despite the government’s longstanding hostility to legislation improving the pay and condition of agency workers.

Last year, a similar bill was obstructed at the second reading, and, within Europe, the UK has been leading the small group of countries blocking the European Commission’s Temporary Agency Worker Directive.

Temporary agency workers are not employed directly by the company or organisation they work for. They are contracted out to the user-firm by an employment agency. The cleaners in your local hospital are likely to be agency workers, so are the workers processing the cheap chickens that grace our supermarkets. They are everywhere. Even the latest Harry Potter book was printed by workers employed on temporary agency contracts.

Temporary agency employees in Britain are one of the most exploited sections of the European working class thanks to the UK’s highly flexible and deregulated labour market. For both the private and the public sector, temporary agency workers represent a valuable source of low-wage, flexible labour.

This type of work has flourished in the political and economic context of budgetary restraint in the public sector, welfare state cutbacks and labour market deregulation. While this process began in the 1980s under the Conservative government it has continued unchecked under New Labour, resulting in a growing proportion of people working in temporary, insecure and low-paid jobs.

The expansion of this workforce is linked to a retreat from traditional employment contracts and the growing use of “atypical” forms of work. It has undermined the ability of workers to organise effectively against attacks on wages and conditions. Permanent workers fighting against their employer for one contract find themselves divided against temporary workers on a completely different contract and with a completely different boss – even though they all work in the same place. It is divide and rule with knobs on.

Continued here:

http://www.permanentrevolution.net//?view=entry&entry=2134

 

[dessiato]

This could be very much to my advantage as I am coming back to the UK for a few weeks and will be working as temporary worker.

 

[mk12]

abour MPs voted overwhelmingly to give a second reading to a bill which would grant temporary agency workers the same rights as permanent employees.

Amen to that! Hopefully it'd change the attitude of permanent employees to temps as well.

 

[cockneyrebel]

Amen to that! Hopefully it'd change the attitude of permanent employees to temps as well.

Unfortunately the lash up between the CBI and TUC means that temporary employees will have to wait three months before they get the "same rights". And the same rights don't extend to stuff like sick pay.

One of the reps in my union branch is a temp.

 

[poster342002]

Unfortunately the lash up between the CBI and TUC means that temporary employees will have to wait three months before they get the "same rights".

Wonder how many temps will often seem to find their assignments "coincidentally" get terminated just before the end of their thrid month?

 

[cockneyrebel]

Wonder how many temps will often seem to find their assignments "coincidentally" get terminated just before the end of their thrid month?

And a lot of temporary workers are given jobs that are less than three months anyway.

 

[dennisr]

And a lot of temporary workers are given jobs that are less than three months anyway.

dammit - you stated a dialogue with him - wave goodbye to this thread

 

[cockneyrebel]

dammit - you stated a dialogue with him - wave goodbye to this thread

 

[electrogirl]

And a lot of temporary workers are given jobs that are less than three months anyway.

alot aren't though. i know people who have temped in the same place for years.

 

[toblerone3]

Wonder how many temps will often seem to find their assignments "coincidentally" get terminated just before the end of their thrid month?

This sort of thing already happens. Hopefully the new law will contain a section to prevent this type of abuse.

 

[poster342002]

This sort of thing already happens. Hopefully the new law will contain a section to prevent this type of abuse.

Wonder if it will be effective - or will employers just be able to suddenly find fault with their performance (after carefully making it impossible for the worker to perform) and bundle them out the door?

 

[belboid]

alot aren't though. i know people who have temped in the same place for years.

the majority of temps are for well under a year tho, it is true. it will be quite easy for companies to alter there employment practises only a little to comply with this new law, whilst making bugger all changes to peoples actual terms and conditions.

but there will be a significant minority of cases where that can't happen, and where this legislation will have a significant effect. anywhere with a fairly significant amount of training, or where posts are funded for specific jobs/activities will gain.

 

[biff curtains]

This new law is nothing to celebrate, it's another example of the TUC doing a deal with the bosses to avoid EU legislation that would have been a genuine improvement.

I'm a temp worker, and rarely get jobs that last more than six weeks.

 

[belboid]

Well, I'm, not exactly organising celebratory parties, but it is a step forward. Brown was desperate to avoid implementing any legislation at all, so its a small and not insignificant step forward.

Even if you aren't given a placement for longer than six weeks, you could well still benefit if you are in constant short term employment, as you would be an employee of the agency, rather than wherever you are placed.

 

[biff curtains]

Well, I'm, not exactly organising celebratory parties, but it is a step forward. Brown was desperate to avoid implementing any legislation at all, so its a small and not insignificant step forward.

Even if you aren't given a placement for longer than six weeks, you could well still benefit if you are in constant short term employment, as you would be an employee of the agency, rather than wherever you are placed.

I agree that it's better than nothing, but this is no way a victory for the unions, in fact it is a defeat - yet again the government has opted out of the good bits of EU legislation, with barely a murmur.

Believe me though I fully intend to take advantage (and help others) of the changes however small...