New employment rights for agency staff

UK agency workers are in line to benefit from new employment rights which came into force last week.

Employees might receive improved working conditions and higher wages as a result of the Agency Workers Directive, which was originally introduced at the start of October.

The rules are designed to ensure that agency workers are given the same rights as directly employed staff members if they are in a job for more than 12 weeks.

Holidays, sick pay and maternity leave are among the rights which could be improved as a result of the changes, unions have suggested.

Communication Workers Union (CWU) general secretary Billy Hayes said the rule changes will provide a timely festive gift to agency staff.

He stated: "Six years after the launch of the CWU's campaign in 2006, hundreds of thousands of agency workers across the UK can now finally look forward to some basic employment fairness.

"Not so very much to ask for, you would have thought, yet it's been a fight that has pitched the trade union movement against successive UK governments and commercial interests."

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