REC Intensifies Lobbying on the Agency Workers Directive

The Recruitment and Employment Confederation, the industry body for the private recruitment sector today intensified its lobbying campaign to ensure the Agency Workers Directive doesn’t damage British business.

Following the Government’s decision not to block the Directive, made at the Labour Party Policy Conference in Warwick two weeks ago, the REC has stepped up its activity in London and Brussels.

In addition, the REC will be meeting representatives of the new accession countries to demonstrate why this piece of legislation would be bad for their economies. The first of these meeting is with Polish Government representatives on August 18 2004.

The REC will also be pressing the UK government for commitments to hold firm on the time period after which temporary workers will be entitled to equal treatment. The TUC wants this period to be on the first day of an assignment, which would be an administrative nightmare and economically disastrous. The current draft of the Directive provides for a six week derogation period, but this is still inadequate and the REC will continue to campaign for this to be extended.

Recent meetings between the REC and other business organisations such as the CBI, the IoD and the British Chambers of Commerce have confirmed that UK business is united in its opposition to the current draft of the Directive which would have a substantial impact on competitiveness and jobs. For example, a recent survey by the Confederation of British Industry has revealed that 60% of employers believed that the current draft of the Directive would lead to a reduction in temporary jobs, and 58% thought that the new laws would lead to extra costs for businesses.

Commenting on the lobbying campaign, Tom Hadley, Director of External relations at the REC said:

If we are going to have a Directive, then it must be one that doesn’t damage labour flexibility and increases rather than reduces the opportunity for work. Britain’s flexible labour market has brought massive economic benefits through high employment, and the UK Government must continue to do everything possible to ensure that this flexibility is not eroded. At the same time, the UK recruitment industry has to be pro-active in fighting it’s own corner which is why the REC is taking the initiative to contact other EU Governments directly’.