Vedior responds to TUC Report

Vedior, one of the worldís largest recruitment companies, today rejected the TUCís report on Agency Work in the UK.
Brian Wilkinson, member of Vediorís Board of Management said,

Given the very positive role temporary work plays in job creation, it is regrettable to see the TUC take such a hostile and ill-informed stance. Their outmoded view of temporary work which they describe as ...getting workers on the cheap and holding them back from quality permanent jobs... actually reinforces a stereotype of temporary workers as second-class citizens. I am certain that those working in a temporary role will find this description offensive and out of touch with reality.

The TUC report fails to mention that many people elect to work on a temporary basis for wholly positive reasons; as a lifestyle choice to help balance work and family commitments, or in order to enhance their skills and experience - and hence their employability. They also fail to mention that pay for experienced and skilled temporary workers will likely be higher than that of equivalent full-time personnel especially in more professional sectors such as accounting, information technology, legal and engineering. Enforcing pay parity between temporary and permanent employees in the UK is unworkable, unnecessary and undesirable.

Temporary work is also a very effective way for more marginalized members of society to enter the workforce and put them on the first step of the career ladder. Nevertheless, the TUC seems determined to undermine opportunities for the very people about whom they should be most concerned.

In contrast to the perception given in the TUC report, rights and benefits for UK temporary workers have substantially increased over the past ten years.

The growth of the temporary work industry over recent years has contributed to the stability of the UK economy and the relatively low levels of unemployment it enjoys. The TUCís suggestion that the UK needs to adopt European-type employment regulations and subscribe to a European-wide directive takes no account of differing labour market circumstances across Europe and comes at a time when European competitiveness is clearly hampered by its inability to develop more flexible workforce policies and thereby reduce unemployment.

Brian Wilkinson concludes,
The protection and fair treatment of temporary workers are aims that Vedior fully shares with the TUC, however, this will never be accomplished by burdening UK industry with additional bureaucracy and regulation.