REC respond to proposed Bill on agency work in the House of Commons

With the deferment until next Friday (October 26) of the proposed Bill on agency work in the House of Commons, the REC has spelled out the possible implications it could have on the recruitment industry.

Tom Hadley, Director of External Relations of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), commented: We understand union concerns but the Bill in its current form could seriously damage opportunities for the temporary work sector to provide exactly the type of short-term cover that Brendan Barber is referring to. REC supports Government and trade union moves to protect vulnerable workers.

ìHowever, this legislation would limit the flexibility of the UK labour market and would make it more difficult for employers to fill vacancies at a time when skill shortages are already rife. In particular, the equal pay provisions that trade unions are seeking would be extremely hard to put into practice and could add increased bureaucracy and uncertainty.