Conditions boost for agency workers

[POSTMAN]

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/ ... workers.do" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Agency workers across the UK have received a pay and conditions boost - after new rights came into force.

The Agency Workers Directive gives equality with directly employed staff after 12 weeks in a job.

Union leaders said agency workers will receive a pay rise running into thousands of pounds and new rights to holidays, sick pay, maternity and paternity leave and access to staff perks such as health benefits.

Billy Hayes, general secretary of the Communication Workers Union (CWU), said: "What we've achieved is the delivery of the best possible Christmas present for the majority of our agency members - won in the teeth of fierce resistance from vested interests who have demonstrated that the spirit of Scrooge is alive and well in the 21st century.

"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 - some of which are even now trying to circumvent this welcome piece of European legislation."

[TrueBlueTerrier]

I am sorry but why isn't the CWU taking this opportunity to make people aware of the Angard situation. Yes they are quite right to highlight that this is a good result and they deserve respect for pushing this for the last number of years. But to not use it highlight the situation within the Unions highest membership area, comes across as a little disrespectful of our colleagues, and a little too much of trying to keep RM on side. I hope they know what they are doing, but I think they missed an opportunity here for which RM and Angard staff may learn to rue.