Press Release
MP Supports Equality Law For Agency Workers
Local MP Tom Clarke is committed to ‘equal rights’ for agency workers and has pledged his support to end the scandal of a two tier workforce. There is an estimated 1.4 million agency workers in the UK.
Agency workers are visiting the Commons on Wednesday 6th February (today) to make their case to MPs for legislation to ensure that they are given the same employment rights as directly employed workers.
The MP said: “I will be attending this Agency Workers Lobby to hear first hand the workers experience. I am persuaded by the legitimate representations I have received from trades unionists across my constituency, that this practice of paying less to agency workers should be abolished, if need be, by legislation. Employing agency workers on inferior terms and conditions compared with existing employees is grossly unfair. The employment status of an employee should not determine their pay; it is their skills and abilities. If there is an established rate for the job that is what should be paid to everyone irrespective of whether they are agency status or permanent employees”
The MP urged Employers to examine what it costs in real terms when he said: “The provision of agency workers means that an agency is paid for providing workers even before the worker is paid. Surely Employers have the capacity to recruit without cutting employees wages.
“Indeed the present system is more costly and is not only perceived as cheap and mean minded; but from the workers point of view that is the reality. I should point out that not every Employer treats agency workers as second class citizens. Enlightened Employers know only too well that it is important to ensure that every employee feels properly valued and such a principled approach will in the longer term reap rewards for the business”.
More than a dozen workers from all over the country will be in the Commons to talk to MPs about their experiences as agency workers and to call on their representatives to back a Private Members Bill which will give them the right to equal treatment in the workplace.
Agency workers working in telecommunications, construction, agriculture, local authorities, print, food, drink and manufacturing sectors will talk about how they face discrimination at work, being denied equal pay, overtime rates and access to health and safety and workplace training.