Commenting on the outcome of yeterday’s meeting of Europe’s Social Affairs Council, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said,
“This is a bad day for rights at work across Europe, but especially in the UK. It is very disappointing that there has been no progress on the agency working Directive. There is real anger among unions that the UK Government played the pivotal role in blocking progress on this modest measure to improve workplace justice.
‘Contrary to business scare-mongering, this Directive would not stop agencies providing temporary staff to employers who need them. What it would have done was both make it more difficult for employers to undercut wages and conditions and help slow the growth of a two-tier workforce.
‘But unions will not give up the campaign to deliver justice for agency workers.”
