It has
recently been agreed by the government after intensive lobbying by the entire
trade union movement that agency workers should get the same rate of pay as
directly employed workers after 12 weeks.
Has it gone
far enough? I believe the legislation
should apply from day one and should also include the same terms and conditions
as directly employed full time workers.
The
legislation is definitely open to abuse by employers as a person could quite
easily be made redundant after 11 weeks.
If a temporary worker queries their rights after being taken on by a
company, an excuse would definitely be made to get rid of that worker as they
may be seen by unscrupulous employers as trouble makers.
On
construction sites this will almost certainly happen. As trade unionists we
must lobby our unions to fight for change in the new legislation i.e. full
employment rights from day one.
If a worker
is dismissed for asking for their statutory and legal right, a claim for unfair
dismissal should be registered by your union on your behalf, as this could be
sacked for unfair dismissal asking for a statutory right. It may require a
demonstration or picket on the site by your fellow workers to force the trade
union officials to get involved in negotiations and demand reinstatement for
the sacked workers. As trade unionists we must take this kind of action to
prevent further dismissals and protect our workers.
