Agency workers update

Here's what Anne Fairweather of the REC had to say yesterday prior to the announcement of a deal between the TUC, CBI and the government:

…the move to 12 weeks is a significant change in direction from the Government who once declared that temporary workers did not need any further rights (in the DTI publication Success at Work in 2006). REC does not believe that there has been sufficient evidence presented to justify equal treatment provisions and is very disappointed that the Government appears to be changing its position on this matter. We will therefore emphasis this disappointment in our press line if a final agreement between the CBI and TUC is reached.

The point about the government moving from its stated position in 2006 is a good one. As I posted a week ago, it is really symptomatic of the weakness of the government that it has buckled under pressure from the left of the PLP and the unions. The REC can 'express…disappointment' at the lack of 'sufficient evident' and the government's volte face (u-turn to you and me) as much as it likes, but since when did rationality and consistency win against raw politics?

CBI hails agency workers deal as "least worst option"

Hardly a ringing endorsement, but probably true under the circumstances - the deal is that protected rights begin at 12 weeks employment. It's long enough to protect labour market flexibility (arguable - not all analysts agree), but gives the unions and the government's left wing what they have been agitating for.

There's a good summary in this BBC article.

More AWD news

As I posted yesterday, the government is pushing ahead with the union-inspired agenda regarding agency workers. Here's part of a statement from the REC summarising the situation:

As expected, The Prime Minister’s draft legislative programme announced today includes a specific mention of more regulation on the agency sector. The full statement on agency work is as follows:

“We are committed to both flexibility and to fairness in the workplace and we will do nothing that jeopardises jobs and businesses taking on workers. But most people agree that it is not fair that even after months in the job, agency workers can currently be paid less than the staff they work alongside ---- and as a result permanent staff can feel they are being unfairly undercut. So My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary for Business plans to bring forward legislation - subject to an agreement between employers and employees, and in Europe - that will for the first time ensure new rules for fair treatment of agency workers here in Britain.”

This statement suggests that there will be a swift move, under the next Parliament (roughly Nov 08 - Nov 09) to implement the Agency Workers Directive. The REC has consistently held the view that the EU Directive holds more chance of a workable outcome than the Private Members Bill on Agency Work that is current being debated in the House of Commons. The work of REC Recruitment Champions has played a key role in ensuring that this Bill is unlikely to go forward. As discussions now move over to a possible outcome in Brussels, REC members can play an equally important role in ensuring that any new EU Legislation is workable in the UK. The Prime Minister himself made it clear that the intention was not to jeopardise jobs and opportunities and the REC will be working with Government, the CBI and other stakeholders to ensure that this is the case.

Today’s announcement by Gordon Brown suggests that there could be agreement on the AWD at the 9th June Employment Council, or perhaps shortly after the French take over the Presidency in July. Any agreement between Ministers in Council would then have to go to the European Parliament for a second reading. If the Parliament accepts the position of the Council, with no amendments, it is possible that the final text of the AWD would be available around 6 months after agreement in Council. This is a very tight timetable if legislation to implement the Directive is to be introduced in the next Parliament.

In addition to this the Government is pushing forward with its planned Agency Work Commission. The Commission would be made up of representatives from the CBI and the TUC. The TUC have yet to confirm that they will sit on the Commission, but it is thought that this is becoming more likely.

If everything comes together the recruitment industry could see new legislation on the pay and conditions of agency workers by April 2010. The framework of the legislation will be the Directive. It is thought that the Agency Work Commission would be allowed, under the terms of the Directive, to set a derogation period after which equal treatment rights are implemented.

Will the Agency Workers Bill really relaunch Brown?

You always know when a government is in trouble: it decides to "relaunch" itself. The more relaunches, the greater the trouble. Having been thoroughly underwhelmed by the sight of Gordon's arse on TV sofas recently, and his admission of "mistakes" and commitment to "long-term decisions", I was idly waiting for a ferry today when my reverie was interrupted by news of another Brown relaunch, on Radio 4. The theme, it seems, to be announced tomorrow, in a pre-announcement of the next Queen's Speech, in which Her Maj announces the things her Government are going to announce over the months to come to an excited nation, is "fairness". A vital plank of this imposing edifice is, it seems, to be the AWB, guaranteeing "fairness" to agency workers.

It is hardly surprising that he should throw such a delicious morsel towards the left of his party. Buying off the unions and their supporters is going to be essential to our beleaguered PM over the next few months, and of course the AWB is close to the heart of the unions. The passage of this Private Members Bill through the house is reminiscent of Blair's decision to ban fox-hunting by allowing a PMB through the House, another "dog-whistle" measure in an hour of need.

If you want to find out what "fairness" means to the unions, check out the T&G's horror story.

Is legislation is going to get rid of illegal, immoral and incompetent practices in a minute percentage of recruitment agencies and their clients? That seems to be the T&G's pitch. If you are a desperate Labour MP faced with the prospect of finding a proper job some time soon, you might hope so. But the rest of us who work in the real world know that agency workers, overall, bring dynamism and flexibility to the labour market and that, despite the dire conditions of some, they very often have an "unfair" advantage, by opting for a bit of uncertainty in return for higher rewards and the chance to stay in control of their own working lives - when they work, for whom, and on what.

Gordon thinks that it will endear him to the public. Like me you may disagree and think that it will just be another bureaucratic restriction imposed on business and free movement of labour. Unfortunately he's the relaunching PM - for now.

Google have added another search box!

Looks like Google are trying to refine their searches even further. They have added an internal search box for some web sites that allow users to search more in depth for that web site. Try and type in UK government and you will see an internal search for the web site.


This does seem quite a useful idea and I know I have used it and found it very useful. There are however problems with this because there are arguments saying this can be unfair, we just want to know why do some web pages have this feature and others do not. If you type in US government into Google, this internal search box does not appear for them (at least when this posting went out). I do not understand how Google actually works out which web site deserves this feature or not. All we know is that they use their complex algorithms and metrics to work this out. Is this a way that Google is dominating the search engine world or is it actually designed solely for the users. I guess we are going to have to wait and see what happens. I welcome any thoughts you may have about this or any opposing views.